Hanging Tough
by FlamethrowerElite
Summary: Otis and Abby are finally going steady as a couple! But when a prank backfires and lands Otis in the Marine Corps, how will Abby be able to cope? What will become of Otis? Read and find out! Rated T for military references.
1. A Harmless Prank

**This is my first cartoon-based fic, so please don't flame.**

Abby sighed as she gazed at her love shrine to Otis, which was now overflowing with pictures of Otis as well as paper hearts. It had only been a week since Otis had confessed his true feelings for her, and she couldn't have been happier now that they were finally a couple. So far, it was only a dating relationship, and Abby dreamed of the day they would take it further.

"Pssst, Abby," came a voice behind her. Abby slammed the shrine shut and spun in her chair to find Bessy beckoning to her from her own stall across the barn from hers, a wide grin spread across her face.

"What's this about, Bessy?" Abby asked as soon as she reached Bessy's room.

Bessy snickered. "I'm gonna prank dum-dum. You in?"

Abby folded her arms across her chest. "You're not going to hurt him, are you?"

Bessy shook her head. "Girl, if I was gonna hurt him, I would've done it a long time ago. Now, here's what's gonna happen." She held up a brochure with a photo of a beautiful tropical beach taped across the front, as well as one plane ticket to that location. "The name of the place is Parris Island. You're going to give this and the ticket to Otis, and he'll think he's won a tropical vacation. But, what he doesn't know is…" Bessy removed the beach photo she had taped to the front of the brochure, revealing an actual photo of the Parris Island welcoming sign:

"WELCOME TO PARRIS ISLAND! WE MAKE MARINES!"

Abby gasped. "A boot camp?!" She remembered a documentary she saw once about Marine Corps boot camp. It was not a pretty memory. "Bessy, you can't be serious!"

"Oh, come on," Bessy countered. "He can quit and come home whenever he wants to. Besides, we all know dum-dum is a bit of a loose cannon." She shrugged. "Who knows, this might actually be good for him."

Abby raised an eyebrow. "And why am _I_ doing this?" she asked.

"Because he'll suspect something if I do it. Let's face it. He's dumb, but not that dumb."

Abby sighed. "What exactly do you want me to do?"

Bessy took a deep breath. "It's simple, really. Just find Otis, give him this brochure and ticket, and tell him its a reward for, I don't know, being a good leader or something."

"Is there a deadline on this or anything?"

"Not really. But you're gonna love the look on his face when he gets back."

"Okay," Abby said. "I'm in." _As long as Otis doesn't get hurt, _she added silently.

**Well, there you go. The first chapter's ready. And Parris Island is an actual location, by the way. It's just off the coast of South Carolina.**


	2. Baiting the Trap & Departure

**For those of you who love to see Otis fall for a prank, this next chapter is for you. I'm not one of those people, but if you are, you'll love this next chapter.**

The chilly night air filled the barn, but Otis and Abby had no trouble keeping each other warm. They were curled up together on a king-sized haystack, watching a romantic movie.

Abby felt her face moving closer to Otis's, and she saw that he was doing the same! Their lips had almost met, when she heard a loud, repeating snapping noise.

"Abby, wake up," Bessy said, snapping her hoof in front of Abby's face. She had been daydreaming again.

Abby groaned, eager to return to her little fantasy. "What is it, Bessy?"

"I found dum-dum in his stall a few minutes ago. You ready to do this?"

"Sure, as long as it's harmless."

"Girl, like I told you before, I would have done it a long time ago. Now hurry, before he leaves." Bessy handed Abby the brochure and ticket, which she hesitantly took.

Abby jogged to Otis's stall, threw her arms over her boyfriend's shoulders, and pecked him lightly on the cheek. "Hey, cutie!"

Otis blushed slightly. "Oh, hey Abby." Even though they were going steady, Otis was too shy to call Abby by any pet name. "I was just about to turn on some sports bloopers. You want to stick around for them?"

"Actually, I just came by to give you this." She handed him the ticket and the fake Parris Island brochure, which Otis looked over excitedly.

"I don't know exactly where this place is," he said. "But it looks amazing! You should totally come with me. We'd have a whole beach all to ourselves. It'll be great! What do you say?"

Abby's cheeks went bright red at the offer. "I'd love to, Otis. I really would. But I could only afford one ticket, and I thought you deserved it, for being such an incredible leader."

Otis's ears drooped. "Well, I thought it might be fun for you and I to go together." He perked up. "But oh well. Guess I'll start packing."

"Tell you what, Otis," Abby said, leaning on Otis's door. "I'll come see you off. How does that sound?"

Otis smiled softly. "I'd love that."

It was twilight at the airport. Otis's flight waited patiently outside. Otis was wearing his orange t-shirt, tan khakis and ballcap (from "Kids in the City"). Abby wore her trademark pink polka-dot top and blue jeans.

"Hey," Abby whispered, moving her hand over Otis's to get his attention. "You know I could probably find room in the storage compartment. I could sneak in while you're boarding, and sneak out right after we land." She didn't care if she wound up getting yelled at 24/7 by drill instructors. As long as she was with Otis, she couldn't care less where she was. "Then maybe we could-"

"I don't think so, Abby. If they catch you, they'll throw you in jail. If that happened to you, I'd never forgive myself."

"Thank you. You're so sweet."

The flight attendant activated her microphone. "Flight 256 to Parris Island now preparing for departure."

"Well," Otis said. "We'll keep in touch?"

"You know it."

"And I have a gut feeling that Duke's gonna try and take over while I'm gone. If he does. I'll hurry back."

Abby watched as Otis boarded his plane and breathed a worried sigh as it took off into the distance. _Good luck, Otis_.

**Well, Otis doesn't know it yet, but he's off to boot camp! Will they make a soldier out of him? Keep reading and find out.!**


	3. A Letter from Otis

**Sorry, everyone. I know I promised you this chapter by the end of this week, but due to computer troubles, I just barely made the deadline. Anyway, without further ado, Chapter 3! Enjoy!**

_A couple months later…_

Abby was in her stall, drawing a picture of herself in Otis's arms, her lips locked with his. This wasn't one of those drawings that you scribble together in ten seconds. She had been hard at work on this drawing for well over a week now. It looked so life-like.

Abby put her colored pencil down, rested her head on her hoof, and fantasized about the day she and Otis would kiss for real. She knew Otis liked her (He had confessed his feelings to her when they had started dating), but the problem was, Otis was far too shy to make the "first move".

_I know what I'm going to do,_ Abby thought. _As soon as he gets home from boot camp, I'll show him what he's been missing._ Abby smiled slyly at the thought.

Abby looked at her finished drawing and considered giving Otis wings and a halo for romantic effect, when someone knocked lightly on her door. She hid the drawing under her hay bed and answered the door to find the mail badger at her doorstep (from "Meet the Ferrets" and "Abby and Veronica").

"This came for you," the badger said. "It's a letter from Otis." He promptly left the barn before Abby could thank him.

She smiled, eager to read it. She opened the letter and began:

_Dear Abby,_

_Boot camp is brutal, but I'm managing. These drill instructors send you to bed at around 1 AM and get you up around 4 AM. And when they do get you up, the first thing they do is make you stand at attention for hours at a time. That involves standing in one place for hours without moving a muscle. And if you even twitch, well, you don't want to know what happens then._

_But, you'll be happy to know that the drill instructors are, so far, impressed with my performance. As a result, they've taken quite a shine to me. You wouldn't believe the things they say! "You've performed each task beautifully," "You, kid, are on your way," "Keep this up and you'll be going home a Marine!" "That's the way we do it in the Marine Corps, son!" Etcetera, and so forth._

_I have more good news. Boot camp is almost over. There's only one more task: the Crucible. It's what you'd call the grand-finale. I will be spending the next two days under the harshest conditions provided so far, hiking through pouring rain, sleeping in a muddy foxhole, and what not. But, whether I pass this or not, I promise you I'll be home by the end of the week._

_Love,_

_Otis._

_P.S. Would you look at that? I finally learned how to spell my own name! ___

Abby almost fainted. He had written "Love Otis" at the bottom. _I can't wait until he gets home,_ Abby thought.


	4. Welcome Home!

**Hooray! Otis is coming home! Is he coming home a changed cow? Read and find out!**

Abby was in her stall, her door locked for privacy as she scrambled to find that shiny blue dress that always turned Otis's head (from Abby & Veronica). She finally found it hung up way in the back of her closet. She had already slipped into it and was turning her room upside-down to find the makeup, necklace and earrings that had come with the dress.

Meanwhile, Duke, who was on the second floor peering through a set of binoculars, spotted a Humvee with a camouflage paint job parked just outside the gates. "Guys," he said. "I think that's Otis. That's the vehicle he said he'd show up in. Wait a minute… Yep, that's him all right."

Abby was scrambling even faster to find her accessories while Duke was going on about something regarding "Otis's new uniform". Abby had finally found and applied the accessories, and was practicing her flirtatious greeting in front of her mirror, when she heard the barn's front door open. "Abby? Pip? Guys?" Abby smiled excitedly, instantly recognizing that cheerful tenor voice that could only belong to Otis.

Abby straightened back her hair, placed one hand on her hip and leaned on her doorframe in a seductive fashion, and gently kicked the door open. But instead of that flirtatious greeting she had practiced since 6AM, she got one good look at her boyfriend, and her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped straight to the floor.

_This must be the "new uniform" Duke was talking about,_ Abby thought, trembling with excitement. Otis was clad in a stunning United States Marine Corps dress uniform that almost put Abby's dress to shame.

The uniform consisted of a dark navy blue jacket with red highlights on the collar, shoulders, and wrist cuffs. He also wore a snow-white belt with the eagle, globe, and anchor of the Marine Corps emblem carved out of the golden buckle. Two more gold-carved Marine emblems adorned the collar. Sown onto each shoulder was a patch with three angled chevrons and one rounded chevron, with a pair of crossed rifles thrown in the middle. Both patches were gold and outlined in red. This was the rank insignia of Staff Sergeant.

The trousers were the same shade of blue as Abby's dress, with a bright red stripe down each leg. A final emblem adorned the white dress hat. And to top it off, Otis wore a bright red sash over his right shoulder with the word "MARINES" sown onto it with gold lace. Abby had always found Otis handsome before, but he looked like an absolute _prince_ in that uniform!

For several minutes Abby just stood there, wide-eyed, open-mouthed, completely abandoning her flirty routine. After what seemed like forever, Otis finally waved a hoof in front of Abby's face to get her attention. "Abby? Hellloooooo? Anybody in there?"

An excited smile crossed Abby's face as she fought an overwhelming urge to check him out in an "elevator eyes" manner. "Otis, " she began. "About the Crucible…"

Otis returned the smile. "It was tough, but so was I."

"So does this mean that you…"

"That's right. I'm officially a United States Marine!"

Abby squealed with delight and ran off to tell the rest of the gang. She couldn't believe her good fortune. Not only had she won her crush over, but he was a Marine, also!

Meanwhile, Otis just happened to catch his reflection in the window. A grin crossed his face from ear to ear as his eyes also went wide. "Well, look at you!" he cooed at his reflection. "No wonder Abby stared at you!"

He was busy flexing his new uniform in front of his reflection when Abby returned with Pip, Freddy, Peck, Pig and Duke. They eagerly crowded around Otis, welcoming him home and asking him question after question about his experiences at boot camp, all of which Otis was happy to answer. It was no secret that they were proud to have a United States Marine in their circle of friends.

At about this time Bessy emerged from her stall, saw Otis in his uniform, and froze. "Uh, Abby?" she asked. "Can I talk to you in private?"

"Sure, Bessy."

"Thanks. Meet me outside the barn." Abby joined Bessy outside after taking the time to put away her dress, necklace, and earrings.

"Abby, I swear on my life this wasn't supposed to happen. Otis was supposed to wind up in boot camp, get roughed up a bit, and come home the next day. I didn't mean to-"

Abby put a hoof on Bessy's shoulder. "Bessy, it's all right." She opened the barn door a crack. "See how happy you've made everybody? Did you see the smile on Otis's face as he came in? I really think you did a good thing, Bessy."

Bessy sighed. "I guess so." She followed Abby back inside.

**Wow! I had tingles as I was writing this chapter (somebody looks good in uniform^_^)! I think it may be my best chapter yet! I can't wait for the reviews!**

**By the way, wanna actually see Otis's uniform? Go to Google Images and type in "USMC dress blues". I hope you're as pleased as I was.**


	5. First Mission as a Marine

**Okay, everybody, let's see just how Otis uses what he's learned at boot camp. Chapter 5. Enjoy!**

_The next day…_

Abby was excited beyond words. Otis had just invited her to a romantic, campfire-lit evening outdoors at around 9PM that night. Otis had said that he had brought marshmallows to roast, his portable DVD player, and that he had rented _Titanic_, one of Abby's favorite movies.

Abby had spent most of the day staring at her love shrine to Otis and just counting down the hours until 9PM (she had taken the opportunity to get a picture of Otis posing heroically in his USMC dress blues the previous day. The new photo was now glued to the center of the shrine).

Finally, her clock struck 8:55PM. Overjoyed to be spending a romantic evening with Otis, Abby grabbed a couple pillows off of her bed, and hurried out the door to the barnyard's campfire site (from _The Right Cow_). She found Otis already settled in with three bags of marshmallows, one of which was already open. The fire had been kindled, and the portable DVD player had already been started up. _Titanic_'s main menu was showing on the screen.

But the first thing Abby noticed was that Otis was wearing a metallic necklace around his neck that really seemed to compliment his muscular chest. "What's that you're wearing?" she asked, pointing to it.

"Oh, this?" Otis replied, fingering the necklace. "This is just my dog tag. They're issued to all military personnel, and they are to be worn 24/7. You know, in case we get-well, this isn't really the time or place to be going into that sort of thing. By the way, what are the pillows for?"

"Oh, you know, for a little extra comfort, that's all."

"Well, then, why did you bring two?"

Abby simply giggled and winked at him.

So far, it was one of the most magical nights of Abby's life. There were several scenes in the movie where Abby had to fight a strong urge to kiss Otis, an example of which being the scene where Rose approached Jack at the bow of the ship, and Jack made it appear as though she were flying.

But right now, Abby had rested her head on Otis's warm chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. They were currently at the scene where Jack and Rose were locked behind a caged door, and the water was rising around them. Abby started to squeeze Otis a little tighter as the water rose higher around the two characters.

A sudden, chilly breeze caused Abby to shiver a little in Otis's arms. "Cold?" Otis asked.

"A little."

Otis pried himself out of Abby's embrace, paused the movie, and stood up. "Then wait right here. I'll go get you a blanket." He then hurried back to the barn.

Abby smiled as she watched him go._ He's so considerate,_ she thought. Ever since Otis had gotten home from Parris Island, he had seemed very eager to please. It seemed that his first and only priority was granting everyone every possible convenience. Abby's smile turned sly as a more devious thought entered her mind. _I hope that blanket is king-sized._

She never saw the two dark, cat-like figures approach her from behind.

Otis was in his newly decorated stall, retrieving a blanket from his hay bed that was sown to look like the Marine Corps flag, when Pip appeared at his doorstep, panting heavily.

"Pip, what's wrong?"

"Well, I saw you and Abby at the campfire together, and I saw you cuddle, and I was like, 'awww, that's cute', and-"

"Pip?"

"And then I saw two mountain lions tie her up and carry her off!"

"What?!" Otis checked the GPS locator that Abby had given him a few months ago. Her location was information she knew she could trust with Otis. Sure enough, Abby wasn't at the campfire. According to the GPS, she was outside the fence headed toward some nearby hills.

"Thanks for telling me, Pip," Otis said as he strapped a Marine Corps field first aid kit over his shoulder and slid the GPS locator into one of the pockets. He burst through the barn's front door and took off on all fours toward Abby's location.

_This wasn't exactly my idea of a first mission,_ Otis thought. _But it needs to be done._

**Wow! Four days into Otis's Marine Corps membership and he's already been given a mission! Will he put his Marine training to work? Will he come home a hero? Find out in the next chapter!**


	6. A Heroic Rescue

**All right, everybody, let's see just how Otis is going to go about rescuing Abby. Will he pull it off?**

Abby awoke to find herself tied to a rotisserie stick over a bonfire, which one of the mountain lions was cranking in anticipation of the meal to come. All around her, mountain lions were drooling and sharpening their teeth with nail files.

"You'll never get away with this!" she shouted at them. "Otis will be here any minute, and then you'll be sorry you ever came near me!"

"Otis?" one of the big cats inquired. "You mean your _boyfriend_?" The other lions snickered upon hearing this.

"That's right! And I'm proud to say it, too!"

The mountain lion cackled evilly. "He doesn't even know you're gone. We saw him ditch you, you know."

"That's a lie! He just went to go get me a-never mind." And Abby knew if she told those lions about the GPS she gave Otis, they would be on constant lookout.

"But don't worry, dear," the big cat hissed. "For you, this will be over in a second. But not for Otis. Looks like the poor guy's got a lifetime of grieving ahead of him." A tear welled up in Abby's eye at the thought of it.

Meanwhile, Otis was right outside the lions' den. _According to the GPS,_ he thought, _Abby should b on that rocky plateau up there. Okay, Otis. Think back to Objectives Training. Get in, rescue Abby, and get out. Sounds simple enough, right?_

Otis took a deep breath and entered the lions' den. Upon entry, he spotted two conversing lions headed in his direction. He made a split-second decision to hide behind a rock and let them pass. Otis was no coward, but a scuffle here and now would alert the entire pack to his presence. And if that were to happen, it would have killed him without having done anything in Abby's defense.

He finally spotted Abby. She was being removed from the bonfire, still tied to the rotisserie, and showered with salt and other seasonings.

Thinking fast, he picked a rock up off the ground and threw it at the far wall of the den. It collided with a loud _crack!_

The lions' heads turned all at once. "Did you hear that?" one of them asked.

"I sure did," said another. "We'd better check it out."

"Right. Spriggs, you stay here. Make sure our little midnight snack doesn't go anywhere." The rest of the pack then hurried off to inspect the noise.

Otis took this opportunity to silently approach the lone mountain lion. Upon seeing him, Abby nearly squealed with joy, but Otis quickly silenced her with a hoof to his lips in a "sshhh," gesture. When he was within reasonable distance, he grabbed the lion by the collarbone and applied pressure, causing the big cat to black out and collapse. Otis was never really sure how that worked. All he knew was that it did.

Otis wasted no time untying Abby's ropes. As soon as her arms were free, Abby threw them around Otis's shoulders and hugged him tightly. "Oh, Otis, I thought I'd never see you again!" She planted a firm, wet kiss on his cheek.

Otis smirked. "We can talk later, Abby. Right now we've got to get you out of here before it's-"

"Too late?" a voice finished for him. Otis turned to see the entire mountain lion pack glaring right at him.

Otis gave a nervous laugh. "So, what's everybody looking at?"

One of the lions trembled with excitement. "Right now, I'm looking at a lot more meat than I was hoping for!"

"Yeah," another chimed in. "Let the girl go; that black and white fella could feed us for a_ month_!"

The pack was on him in an instant. Abby gasped in horror as her hero disappeared into the mass of fur and razor-sharp teeth. She was about to jump into the fray to save him when she made an astonishing discovery. _Otis was winning!_ He already had four of the large cats pinned beneath him. Exhausted, the rest of the pack retreated.

"Wait a minute," one of the lions shouted. "We can't leave Spriggs behind!"

Another lion sprinted into the clearing, lifted the unconscious cat onto his back, and scurried off, as did the four lions pinned underneath Otis as soon as he got up.

For several minutes, Abby simply stared at Otis with the sincerest look of love and affection on her face. Her boyfriend, Otis, had just wrestled _four_ mountain lions to the ground, just so she would sleep safely tonight. Abby was about to plant a kiss right on his lips when he suddenly gave a loud grunt and collapsed.

Abby let out another horrified gasp and rolled him over to find a rather large gash in his side where one of the lions had tried to take a bite out of him. Abby seized the field medical kit Otis had brought with him and fished around in it until she pulled out the wrap-around bandage.

She knelt at Otis's side. "Otis," she said. "Are you all right? Can you sit up?

"I think so." Otis grunted again and forced himself into a seated position. Seeing the bandage in Abby's hoof, he immediately lifted his arms and suspended them in the air until the bandage had wrapped around his waist several times.

"Is that better?" Abby asked.

"Much better," Otis replied with a smile. "I think I might even be able to walk home."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, but I'll be right here, just in case."

"Thanks, Abby."

Abby draped Otis's arm over her shoulders and helped him to his feet. She kept supporting him in a similar fashion the entire walk home. About halfway through, Abby looked up into Otis's beautiful blue eyes and said, "I didn't want tonight to end without thanking you for saving me."

Otis blushed. "Aww, I can't take all the credit. When Pip saw you get carried off, the first thing he did was make sure I knew all about it. And if it weren't for Bessy, I would never have gotten the training necessary to deal with this situation. And if you hadn't given me that GPS, I would never have known where you were."

Abby smiled. Before boot camp, Otis couldn't wait to take full credit for everything good that happened at the barnyard, even if he had no part of it (example: Save the Clams). But he had just pulled off a daring rescue, alone, and now here he was making sure he was the last one to be noticed for it.

Abby rested her head on Otis's shoulder as they reached the barnyard. She was loving him more and more every day.

**HAHA!!! I knew he could do it! Keep those reviews coming, now!**

**The majority of this chapter was inspired by the new video game: Halo 3-ODST.**


	7. Shocking News

**I immediately got to work on this chapter as soon as I got a review for Chapter 6, but due to poor Internet connection, it was a while before I was able to get it posted. Chapter 7, everybody. Enjoy!**

_The next night…_

The events of the previous night, from the _Titanic _movie to the rescue from the lions' den played through in Abby's mind again. She felt so lucky to have a boyfriend like Otis; he hadn't taken his mind off of her even once that night. Abby felt she owed him at least one full night with her.

She opened her closet to find her beautiful pink robe that she had purchased off the Internet while Otis was away at boot camp. The robe's fabric was a soft fleece stuffed with cotton, the same materials that stuffed animals are made out of. The robe's hem extended all the way to the floor, and the garment seemed to swallow Abby whole.

Abby slipped into the robe and ran a hoof along the fleece, enjoying the warm, fuzzy feeling she got from caressing the plush fabric. _Otis won't be able to keep his hooves off of me,_ she thought with a smile.

Meanwhile, Otis eased himself down gently onto his hay bed, mindful of the wound he had received in his side. A videotape of boot camp graduation had been mailed to him from the Marines at Parris Island. He had just received it from the mail badger earlier this afternoon. The tape was already in his VCR and was just starting when Otis heard Abby's voice coming from outside his door. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure." Otis paused the video, hoisted himself off of the bed and opened the door, smiling at the robe he saw Abby wearing. "Is that new?" he asked.

"Yep," Abby replied in a cutsie voice. "So, whatcha doin?"

"Oh, my Parris Island graduation video came today. Wanna watch it with me?"

"Oh, Otis, I'd love to." Otis took Abby's hoof, led her inside, and sat himself back down on the hay bed. To his surprise, Abby sat down _right in his lap!_ Otis enjoyed the warm, fuzzy sensation he got from Abby's soft robe as she reclined in his arms. Otis grabbed the remote and pressed _Play_.

Otis's television screen instantly showed a large courtyard. Parris Island's newest graduates were soon seen marching on-screen to the Marine Corps Hymn. Abby could spot Otis in the formation with little effort once they stopped.

One of the drill instructors stepped forward and spoke. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Marines of Parris Island!" The crowd erupted in cheers.

The drill instructor continued to speak into his microphone. "All Americans pledge allegiance to their nation, but only a small handful show it. This handful of young men and women stands before you now."

"From here, they go with purpose. And they go as family. They have not yet reached their destination, but they have chosen a path. In this glorious moment, anything is possible. These young men and women have come here as wanderers. They now depart as warriors. And without further ado, I present to you, the newest members of the United States Marine Corps!" The crowd went wild, cheering and throwing confetti as families rushed to meet their sons and daughters.

Otis then heard Abby sniff and felt a tear on his shoulder. "Are you…crying?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Otis," Abby said, choking on her voice. "But I'm just so proud of you right now."

Otis held Abby tight as she wept into his shoulder. After about a half-hour of watching videotaped interviews with individual recruits, Abby yawned and snuggled closer to him.

"Feeling sleepy?" Otis cooed at her. He was answered with silence. Abby had fallen asleep in his arms.

Otis gently slid his arms beneath the sleeping Abby, lifted her bridal-style, carried her back to her stall, lay her down on her own hay bed, and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. He felt a strong urge to climb into bed with her, but quickly fought it off. The last thing he wanted was to scare her away, but little did he know that Abby would have, in fact, welcomed him in.

The next morning, Abby, much to her dismay, woke up in her own bed and not in Otis's arms like she had hoped.

Otis, meanwhile, was whistling cheerfully as the mail badger tossed him a letter. He opened it, and froze in terror. It was the same expression he had given when he had received the letter from Krouser Krebs.

"What's wrong, Otis?" Pip asked, hopping on Otis's shoulder.

"Uh, guys," Otis called out to the entire barnyard, getting everyone's attention. The first thing they noticed was Otis's solemn expression.

He took a deep breath. "Um, there's no easy way to tell you this, so I'll just come right out with it. I'm going to war."

**Oh, no! Otis is going to war? I hope he makes it. By the way, I'm going to introduce an OC in the next chapter.**

"**Some people live their entire lives wondering if they've ever made a difference in the world. The men and women of the United States Marine Corps never have that problem." –Ronald Reagan**


	8. To War

**Poor Otis! Will he be okay? Keep reading and find out!**

"What?!" Pip cried. "What do you mean you're going to war?"

Otis sighed. "Looks like the boys in Afghanistan are in need of reinforcements. I just got this letter saying that I ship out in two days."

A tear welled up in Abby's eye as she hugged Otis's arm and rested her head on his shoulder. "But you can't go!"

Otis wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Look, if it were my choice, I wouldn't be going anywhere. But when you're in the military, and you're being ordered to go somewhere, they don't give you very many options, if any at all." He went back inside the barn to pack.

Otis had almost finished packing when Bessy showed up at his stall. "Hey, dum-dum, where do you think you're going?"

"Afghanistan."

Again, Bessy froze. She hadn't meant for her little prank to go this far. She cleared her throat. "Um, dum-du-, I mean, Otis, I have a bit of a confession to make."

Otis gazed over his shoulder at her.

Bessy took a deep breath. "It's my fault you're leaving. It was supposed to be a harmless prank, that's all. But-"

"What prank?"

"You getting sent off to boot camp was my idea. Abby had nothing to do with it. I only made Abby do it so you wouldn't suspect it was me."

Otis smirked. "It wasn't really that hard to figure out."

Bessy continued. "Anyway, I didn't mean for you to get sent off to war, or even to join the Marines, for that matter. I thought you would go to boot camp, get roughed up a bit, and quit and come home the next day."

Otis sighed. "Bessy, look. I understand you were only trying to pull a prank, but I was too proud to quit boot camp. Therefore, everything that happens after boot camp is _my_ fault."

Bessy gave a relieved smile and left Otis alone so he could finish packing.

_Two days later…_

The gang, in human disguises (Abby in her trademark pink polka-dotted blouse and jeans) had gathered at the nearest military base to see Otis off. Dozens of other families had gathered here to say good-bye to their sons, husbands, fathers, etc. Row upon row of AC-130 transport planes were being loaded up with marines, Humvees, Abrams tanks, Strykers, and UAVs.

They spotted Otis exiting the barracks, clad in full military gear. Abby couldn't help smiling. He looked so heroic in that outfit.

"Look," Otis said to his friends after they had gathered around him. "If anything happens to me, blame me, not Bessy. I know she was the reason I got sent to boot camp, but the only reason I'm here, now, is because I was too proud to give in. I'm responsible for _everything_ that happens to me from here on in."

"All aboard!" a marine officer called out.

_This is it,_ Abby thought. _This may be the last time I'll ever see him._ Without thinking, she ran up to Otis just as he was boarding the AC-130.

"Abby," Otis said in a surprised tone. "Why are you here?"

She grinned ear to ear at him. "So I can do this." She then kissed him, long and hard, right on the lips, causing the other marines around them to cheer and whoop at them. Abby didn't hear them; she was too focused on the passionate kiss she was sharing with Otis right now.

Just as Abby pulled her lips away, she saw Otis smile warmly at her and heard him whisper in her ear, "Now I know I'm coming back."

The gang made sure she saw the last AC-130 take off before she left. She wanted to make sure she had see Otis off.

_Meanwhile, on the plane…_

Otis stared at the floor of the AC-130's troop bay with nervous anticipation. Would he make it through this war alive so he and Abby could be together again?

The marine next to him, whose nametag read _Prekowski_, clapped Otis on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, big guy," he said as if reading his thoughts. "You'll see her again."

Otis smiled at him. _Yeah, I hope so._

**There he goes, people! He's fought coyotes. He's fought mountain lions. His next challenge: *gasp* THE TALIBAN!!! *dun dun dun!***

**By the way, in the episode, **_**Man's Best Friend**_**, it is revealed that Duke and the farmer watch **_**Casablanca **_**together all the time. Duke even considers it their own "special movie". In the next chapter, it is revealed that Otis and Pip also have a "special movie" that they often watch together. The answer will come in the next chapter, but I challenge you to guess in your review of this one. Take as many guesses as you like.**


	9. Keeping in Touch

**I know, it's been a while since I posted my latest chapter. I've just been busy with other stuff. Here's Chapter 9! Enjoy!**

_Two weeks later…_

Abby had shown a rather nervous personality in the two weeks since Otis had departed for Afghanistan. She couldn't watch a war movie without thinking, _That could be Otis right now!_ Tears would well up in her eyes at the very thought.

It was starting to get dark, and Abby was on her way back to her stall to turn in for the night, when she saw Pip, in Otis's stall, with his portable DVD player, watching a movie.

She walked up to Pip, put her hooves on her hips, and frowned at him. "Pip, what are you doing in Otis's room?"

"Oh, come on, Otis lets me in here all the time. He knows he can trust me with his room if he ever has to go for some reason. It's like the same trust you put in him when you gave him your GPS."

Abby nodded. "I see. Which movie are you watching, anyway?"

"_Independence Day_," Pip replied. "Otis and I would watch this movie together all the time."

"Well, anyway," Abby said with a yawn. "I'm gonna turn in. Try not to keep the DVD player on too late."

"Don't worry," Pip said. "The movie's almost over, anyway."

_The next morning..._

Abby was nestled deep in her hay bed, fast asleep, grinning ear to ear. "Oh, Otis, these roses are beautiful," she mumbled in her sleep. "How can I ever thank you?" She giggled. "Oh, really?" she cooed. "Well, pucker up, you big, handsome-"

She woke to the sound of her alarm clock, and found out to her dismay that she was actually making out with her pillow. She set the pillow back down on her bed and was busy stretching when her laptop started beeping. Someone wanted to video-chat with her.

Abby groaned. _Who wants to video-chat at 6AM?_ She wondered. She removed her video camera attachment from her desk drawer, hooked it to her laptop, and opened it.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you just getting up?" said that cheerful voice that could only belong to one person.

Abby slowly opened her half-shut eyes and squealed excitedly when she saw Otis on her laptop screen, clad in full military gear and everything. "Otis!! I've missed you so much!" Before she could stop herself, she was kissing her screen. Much to her surprise, she pulled away to see Otis kissing his screen as well. Abby smiled and put her own lips back on the screen. She and Otis were half a world away, but that still didn't stop them from sharing a long, passionate kiss.

Suddenly, Abby heard another voice come from the other side of the screen. "Um, Sergeant, why are you kissing your laptop?"

"Uh-oh," Otis whispered. "Abby, I'll stall him. You go get a disguise."

Abby didn't waste any time throwing on her blue jeans and pink polka-dotted blouse. She returned to the screen to see Otis chatting with two other marines with cheerful expressions on their faces. _Is that…Is one of them a horse?!_ Abby thought. She quickly dismissed it, aware that she had just woken up.

"Abby," Otis said. "I'd like you to meet Corporal Prekowski and Lance Corporal Maslow."

"Hey," the horse-like marine said. "Weren't you that girl that kissed Otis just before he got on the plane?" Abby blushed and nodded.

"You see, Otis," the other one said with a brief laugh. "I told you you'd see her again."

The horse-like marine laughed as well, and then turned back to Abby. "I'm Maslow. I'm telling you, Abby; you should see your boyfriend in action over here! These Taliban clowns have been getting their butts handed to them on a silver platter ever since he showed up!"

Abby smiled, relieved to hear that Otis was at least surviving. "Um, guys," she said. "Can I speak to Otis alone, please?"

"Sure thing. We're on supplies duty, anyway." The two marines hurried off.

Abby giggled. "You marines look like real morning people."

"Actually, Abby, it's 3:15PM over here. By the way, remember when I became a pilot and did all those crazy stunts with you in the backseat?"

"Yes."

Otis laughed sheepishly. "Well, I'd never ask you to do this."

Abby giggled again, and then raised her eyebrow at Otis. "Otis, was that a horse?"

"Oh, you mean Maslow? Actually, yes. Turns out, I'm not the only animal-in-disguise in this regiment. In fact-"

Abby suddenly heard a deep, gruff voice come from off-screen. "Hey, Otis! You said you'd help unload the supply crates! Now hop to it!"

"Yes, sir!" Otis turned back to the screen. "I'm sorry Abby but I have to take off. Make sure Duke doesn't go mad with power or anything. And Abby?"

"Yes, Otis?"

"I, I love-"

"Otis, NOW!" the gruff voice barked. They were the last words Abby heard before her screen went black.

Her heart sank at first, but soon leapt up to her throat. What was Otis about to tell her when he had to leave? Whatever it was, she was pretty sure she wanted to tell him the same thing.

**Now, you and I both know what Otis was about to say to Abby before the chapter ended. Now let's see who actually says it first. It could be in the next chapter, or twenty chapters from this one. You just have to keep reading! ^_^**


	10. Not the Best Time

**I know it's been a while since I've updated, but I managed to get it done. Chapter 10, everyone!**

_One week later…_

Duke suddenly came bursting through the barn doors, panting heavily. "Everyone," he wheezed. "Farmer's house! Right away!"

Abby, Duke, and the others wasted no time as they dashed to the Farmer's front window, where the Farmer was inside watching his favorite news channel. Abby arrived just in time to hear the reporter:

"Our top story: A series of ambushes this morning in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul left eleven U. S. Marines dead and over 50 wounded."

Abby gasped. Wasn't Kabul where Otis was stationed?! Before she could assume the worst, photos of the eleven killed in action appeared on-screen. Abby sighed with relief. Not one of them was Otis.

_Wait a minute…_ she thought. She then recognized one of the killed in action as Otis's new friend Prekowski. Abby's heart sank. Otis was only three weeks into his tour of duty, and he had already lost a friend.

_And above it all,_ Abby added, _I have no way to comfort him._ She then got an idea. She and Otis had had a video chat a week earlier. She could use her laptop to reach him.

Leaving her friends out in front of the house, Abby raced back to her stall, seized her laptop, and punched in Otis's e-mail address, making sure she was in disguise before appearing in front of the other marines. It wasn't long before Otis's face re-appeared on the screen, but instead of his jolly, casual expression he normally wore, he looked rather nervous.

"Pssst, Otis," Abby whispered. Otis immediately looked up and gave a slight smile.

"It's good to see you again, Abby."

"Otis, I heard about Prekowski. I'm so sorry. Is everything okay over there?"

Otis sighed. "Abby, look, this isn't really the best time. I'm currently-oh, milk me."

"Again, Otis, is everything okay over there?"

Otis, not hearing her, turned to the three marines behind him. "Guys, start the Humvee. Make sure the 50. Caliber is locked and loaded."

"Expecting trouble, Sarge?" one of the marines asked.

Otis handed him a pair of binoculars. "See for yourself."

The marine's jaw dropped straight to the ground as he turned the binoculars in the direction Otis was pointing. "Uh-oh. Come on, we gotta get outta here!"

"RPG!!!" another marine yelled out of the blue. "HIT THE DECK!!!"

_(BOOM!!!)_

"Come on, Otis! We gotta get that Javelin locked and loaded right away!"

I think Bradley's dead! Bradley, wake up!"

_(random gunfire)_

"Net call! Net call! This is Apache Red One requesting an immediate-"

_(BOOM!!!)_

Abby's computer screen went black. Tears welled up in her eyes as a montage of everything that could have happened to Otis played through her mind. She prayed none of it had come true.

**I hope nothing happened to Otis, either. Stay tuned for the next chapter. I'm gonna see if I can't give some of the other characters some dialogue as well. Until then, peace out!**


	11. The Farmer's Secret

**Sorry about the long wait. Between writer's block and schoolwork, I didn't have a lot of time. Anyway, here's Chapter 11!**

Abby was starting to get worried. Several days had passed since she last spoke to Otis over the computer, when he and his unit had been ambushed. Since then, she hadn't been able to reach him once. She tried to get her mind off of it by exploring Otis's stall, newly decorated with a Marine Corps theme. She felt a little guilty about sneaking around in her boyfriend's room, but she was sure Otis wouldn't mind, at least not after she had caught him snooping around in hers (Cupig). _I'll bet Otis would allow me at least one freebie after that incident,_ Abby thought with a smile.

The first thing that caught Abby's eye was the stunning, sparkling, USMC dress blues that hung neatly in Otis's closet along with his other human disguises. Abby reached out and affectionately stroked the princely uniform, realizing that it was the only part of Otis that was truly with her right now.

Then she noticed the soft, cotton-polyester blanket that lay on top of Otis's hay bed. It was dyed red, and stitched into the center of the blanket with gold lace was the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor that was the emblem of the United States Marines. _Otis and I could probably both fit under there,_ she thought, her smile turning sly.

But if she were ever to take it that far, she would first have to make sure Otis wanted to go that far as well. Abby had read somewhere that even if a guy is absolutely head-over-heels for you, it's still possible to scare him off if the relationship goes too fast.

Abby sighed. _I guess I'm just gonna have to find out what Otis wants out of us,_ she thought. _Maybe he has a diary or something that I could-_

_Don't even think about it, Abby,_ said a tiny voice inside Abby's head. _You didn't like it when Otis was going through your stuff. What makes this any different?_

Another voice from outside the stall startled her. "Abby, get this!" She spun around to see Pip standing on top of the stall door.

"What's up, Pip?"

"The farmer just left for his sister's house. He'll be gone for three weeks! We'll have his house to ourselves until then!"

Abby grinned. Relaxing in the farmer's living room, watching some TV and maybe playing a video game or two would be just the thing she needed to get her mind off of Otis.

Freddy, Peck, and Pip were enjoying a good round of _Halo_ on the farmer's game system. Pig had just returned from the kitchen with the results of his own special fudge recipe laid out on a tray. Bessy, meanwhile, slouched on the sofa. Everything about her screamed that she was bored.

Abby, however, was very much enjoying herself, laying back in the soft, cushiony recliner and letting her cares melt away. Her hunch was right. This _was_ what she needed.

Before she could drift off to sleep, Abby noticed a rather large book in a basket under the coffee table. She pulled the book out from under the table, dusted it off, and took it into another room, leaving the rest of the gang to their own devices.

Abby was surprised to see that the title read: "Vietnam Service Record-Sergeant Major Buyer, 1st Marine Division, United States Marine Corps"! She excitedly opened the dusty book. There were pages titled "Operation: Starlite, August 1965" and "The Tet Offensive, 1968". Every page was filled with pictures of a younger-looking Farmer Buyer posing for pictures, huddling in foxholes with other marines, escorting Viet Cong prisoners to a waiting UH-1 Iroquois helicopter, etc. Abby raced upstairs and threw open the farmer's closet. There, sure enough, was a sparkling, blue USMC dress uniform!

Abby tingled with excitement. The same farmer who had taken care of her for the last two and a half years was a former United States Marine and a veteran of Vietnam! _I can't wait to tell Otis about this! He'll be thrilled!_

Abby was about to rush downstairs to tell her friends what she had just learned, when she saw the Cowman symbol in the sky. She raced downstairs to see the Justice Brood already in uniform (all except Bessy, who had no uniform).

"Abby, where've you been?" Pig/Mr. Hamtastic asked. "We've got a mission!"

Abby sighed. "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up."

She hurried back to the barn and threw on her Cowgirl costume, making sure to pack a couple of Cowman's freeze-bombs, hoping they would compensate for Otis's absence. If there were ever a time she wished Otis were with her, it would have been now.

**Sorry that took so long to come up with. By the way, I researched the 1****st**** Marine Division in Vietnam on Wikipedia. Everything in that service record is accurate.**


	12. Tragedy

**I immediately got to work on this chapter as soon as I finished Chapter 11. Now, I hope you're all in for a little heart-break. AngelOli16, get ready to unleash those coyotes, or polar bears, or whatever it is you're packing. (She'll know what I'm talking about).**

Upon reaching the city and piling out of Cowman's Cow-Mobile, the first thing the Justice Brood noticed was what appeared to be a giant blob of green goo attacking the city.

"You guys try to distract him, and I'll freeze him when he's not looking," Abby/Cowgirl whispered to the rest of the gang, who all nodded in agreement. The trouble was, you could never really tell where a blob of goop was looking.

Abby crept into a back alley that she presumed the monster was facing away from. She was about to pull one of Cowman's freeze-bombs from her belt, when she felt something thick and goopy rise around her ankles. She tried to lift them, but couldn't. Abby looked down to find herself ankle-deep in the same green goo that the monster was made of.

Abby then came to a horrifying realization. The ooze monster was backing into the alley as well, and in the process, eating her! She tried to pull her legs out of the soupy mass to no avail as it rose up to her knees. She made sure to remove her rope from her belt before the goop reached her waist, which it did in almost no time at all.

Abby quickly tied the rope in a lasso and cast it at an overhead pipeline, but was horrified to discover that it was too short (by this time, the goop was up to her chest)! The rope fell lifelessly into the ooze and sank out of sight. Abby had only one idea left, and if it didn't work, she was blob chow! She would try to push herself out. She didn't know what good it would do, but she was out of options.

Using both arms, she pushed down on the gloppy surface with every ounce of her strength. It only resulted in her left arm sinking into the goop and getting stuck (she managed to pull her right arm free before it got stuck, as well).

The ooze had now swallowed her shoulders and was starting for her neck. There was nothing left for her to do but wave her one free arm in the air and scream for help in the hopes that someone would notice and come to her rescue. But before she could even open her mouth, the goo rose over her chin and snout. It wasn't long before the rest of her beautiful face disappeared into the ooze. Her outstretched arm soon followed.

_This is it!_ Abby thought. _ I'm done for!_ She was sure this would be her last conscious thought. But then she got one last idea. She prayed that it would work.

It was almost impossible to move in the thick goo, but Abby managed to regain control of her arm just long enough to prime one of Cowman's freeze-bombs. She then braced herself for the cold wave that would follow. She didn't have to wait long.

The monster was frozen solid, but now, so was Abby. She kicked herself mentally for pulling the plug. _Good going, you idiot,_ the voice in her head told her. _ I cannot believe you did that! Good luck finding Otis when they thaw you out a thousand years from now!_

But then, Abby felt the ice around her start to crack, and then shatter, freeing her from what she thought would be an eternity frozen in ice. She didn't car how it happened; she was just glad to be alive. She had just rejoined the rest of the Justice Brood when reporter Hilly Burford approached them.

"Justice Brood, that was AMAZING!!!" Burford exclaimed. "But I have one question. Where's Cowman?"

"Oh, um," Abby stammered, struggling to come up with a good excuse. "Well, you see, Cowman had a much more important mission he had to attend to." It was somewhat true.

Burford cleared his throat. "I see. Well, when Cowman comes back, you tell him he missed one heck of a party!"

Abby giggled. "Well, he does hate it when he misses his parties. On that note, we gotta take off."

"Tell Cowman I said hi."

"Will do!" Abby and the Justice Brood piled back into the Cow-Mobile and left town, leaving a crowd of cheering civilians behind them.

The rest of the gang was already back inside the farmer's house. Abby paused for a second to get the mail. She noticed that one of the letters was for her. She prayed it was Otis. Even though they hadn't seen each other in a few days, it had seemed like an eternity to Abby.

She eagerly tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter. What she read made her nauseous:

DEAR ABBY,

THE DEPARTMENT OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS DEEPLY REGRETS TO INFORM YOU THAT AS OF THIS MORNING, GUNNERY SERGEANT OTIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED KILLED IN ACTION. IT IS WITH A HEAVY HEART THAT WE BRING YOU THESE TIDINGS.

WHILE ONE CANNOT TOO DEEPLY MOURN THE LOSS OF SUCH A BRAVE SOUL, THERE IS CONSOLATION KNOWING THAT OTIS DID HIS DUTY WITH COURAGE AND VALOR, AND WILLINGLY GAVE HIS LIFE THAT OUR NATION MAY HAVE A BETTER TOMORROW.

RESPECT AND SYMPATHY,

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL LEVI WILKES

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

With tears in her eyes, Abby raced back to the barn, threw herself down on her hay bed, and cried herself to sleep.

**You all must HATE MY GUTS right now!!! And if you never want to speak to me again, that's perfectly understandable. But before you judge, I just want you to know that this story isn't even half-way over! Maybe it'll take a turn for the better in the second half…**

"**I find it foolish and wrong to mourn America's fallen sons. Rather, we should rejoice that such brave men lived." –General George S. Patton**


	13. Regrets

**Just so you know, I DID NOT ENJOY WRITING THE LAST CHAPTER!!! And I'm also aware that several readers were hit pretty hard by Chapter 12 (I can tell from the reviews and messages). But this story **_**will**_** get better. I promise. Eagle Scout's honor!**

**By the way, after I finished Chapter 12, I read that letter back to myself, and I choked on my voice the entire time!**

_The next morning…_

The thunderstorm outside, loud though it was, was unable to drown out the moans of a weeping Abby inside the barn. It had been pouring buckets ever since Abby received the tragic news. Whether it was coincidence or an omen, she couldn't really tell.

What bothered her right now was that she was being mercilessly plagued by memories of when she had bullied Otis or assisted Bessy in doing so. Abby tried to pry these depressing thoughts out of her head, to no avail. Whenever she dismissed one painful memory, another quickly took its place.

~Flashback (War of the Pranks)~

*Otis and Pip are squirted with honey*

OTIS: AAAH!!! AAAH!!! IT'S MELTING MY FACE!!! Wait a minute, no it isn't. Is this… honey?

ABBY: Surprise! (removes alien mask)

OTIS: Abby?! Wait a minute, that means that you-

BESSY: And THAT'S how you pull a prank!

~End flashback~

Another wave of tears flooded Abby's vision. Otis hadn't come out of his stall for two whole days after that incident. Abby was sure at the time that Otis saw her as a monster, and would never want to speak to her again. She would have felt the same way had someone done that to her.

~Flashback (Raging Cow)~

OTIS: I just wanted to thank you for helping me out and all, even after I acted like a complete jerk.

ABBY: That's all right, Otis. You proved that you've got what it takes.

OTIS: I sure did! Anyone want to try out my STEEL CAGE PAIN PALACE?!

ABBY: Amateurs! (lifts Otis and slams him into the side of the cage)

OTIS: That's great. I'll be here on the floor.

~End flashback~

_Girl, that was totally uncalled for,_ yelled that all-too-familiar voice in Abby's head. _He had already apologized and everything! He was trying to end that argument on good terms, but you ruined it! For both you and him!_

~Flashback (Otis 11)~

ABBY: Otis, how could you?!

BESSY: Yeah, you really set the all-time high on the moron-o-meter!

PIG: Guys, guys, let's not form an angry mob! Let's just line up one at a time and pummel Otis in an orderly fashion.

EVERYBODY (including Abby): YEAH!!

~End flashback~

Abby buried her face in her pillow. That one wasn't even Otis's fault! All he did was agree to a bet. It wasn't _his_ idea to bet the saloon, and he had no way of knowing that Chubbs Malone would cheat.

~Flashback (Some Like it Snotty)~

PIG: Hey, my dress is stuck!

FREDDY: My wig won't come off!

OTIS: What the cud?! What's with these-

PIP: Dude, I think someone put glue in your outfits.

OTIS: Glue?! Nobody puts glue in outfits! Who in their right mind would… ABBY!!!

PIP: And Bessy.

OTIS: AND BESSY!!!

BESSY: Ahhh, the sweet sound of a moron's lament.

*Abby and Bessy high-five each other and laugh*

~End flashback~

What a mean joke that was. Abby was lucky that dressing up like a girl had worked out so well for Otis, or he would never have forgiven her!

~Flashback (Save the Clams)~

OTIS: This was all Abby's fault! Make her come up with something!

ABBY: Fine! I will!

OTIS: Fine! I'm all ears!

(brief silence)

OTIS: Ha! I knew you didn't have a-

ABBY: (knocking Otis unconscious by accident) I've got it!

_Later…_

OTIS: Well, thanks to my quick thinking and take-charge attitude-

ABBY: Otis, this was _my _plan! You had no part of it!

OTIS: Oh, didn't I?

EVERYBODY (including Abby): NO!!!

~End flashback~

_Of course Otis didn't have any part in the plan to get rid of the clams, _said the cruel voice in Abby's head. _But whose fault was that? Who knocked him out and, in doing so, personally saw to it that his voice went unheard?_ Abby couldn't deny that she was to blame for that as well, in addition to unleashing the millions of clams into the barn. Perhaps Otis should have received some credit after all. He probably would have come up with something ingenious. He always had.

~Flashback (Cupig)~

OTIS: (mimicking Hanna's voice) So, got, like, a crush on anybody?

ABBY: (notices Otis outside with a cell phone) Well, Hanna, I got a BIG crush on… (Blows airhorn into receiver, then snickers)

_Later…_

(Otis is hiding under a picnic table)

ABBY: Bessy, could you please pass the salt?

BESSY: Here, let me salt them for you. (pours salt down a hole in the table into Otis's eyes)

ABBY: Oh, darn, I spilled the extra-thick molasses.

BESSY: Oh, snap! There goes the chum chowder.

ABBY: Here, let me warm your food with a flamethrower (torches Otis)

BESSY: I wonder what would happen if I shoved one of these giant swords through the table…

OTIS: STOP!!! MY BODY IS TENDER!

(Abby and Bessy laugh)

OTIS: Oh, very funny.

ABBY: Well, Otis it serves you right for trying to prank us.

OTIS: Prank you!? For your information, I was just… um… searching for the lost city of the Incas. (looks under the table) Nope, not here. An explorer's work is never done. (trudges off)

(Abby and Bessy laugh mercilessly)

_Later…_

ABBY: (catches Otis going through her stuff) OTIS! What are you doing in my room?!

OTIS: Abby! Um, I was just, um…

(Abby stomps angrily towards the trembling Otis, tosses him right through the wall, and lifts him in the air, preparing to break the picnic table with Otis's spine)

OTIS: Abby, wait! Can't you just admit that you wrote that love letter, so I can tell you that I might feel the same way so that we can get on with our lives?!

~End flashback~

All he wanted was to find out if she liked him. Was that so wrong? That taunting voice in Abby's head spoke up again. _If I recall correctly, weren't you about to do the exact same thing in Otis's room? _(See Chapter 11) _Maybe Otis's death was heaven's way of telling you that, well, maybe you didn't deserve him after all._

~Flashback (Little Otis)~

ABBY: I knew little Otis would like little Abby, just like the big Otis likes me!

OTIS: All lies!

*The two clones make out in the background*

~End flashback~

_Now we all know that Otis liked you, even after you were such a bully to him,_ the voice in Abby's head continued. _But honestly, was it really necessary to embarrass the poor guy by blurting it out in front of everybody?_

~Flashback (Chapter 2 of Hanging Tough)~

ABBY: (hugs Otis and kisses him lightly on the cheek) Hey, cutie!

OTIS: (blushing slightly) Oh, hey Abby. I was just about to turn on some sports bloopers. You want to stick around for them?

ABBY: Actually, I just came by to give you this. (hands Otis the Parris Island brochure and ticket)

OTIS: I don't know exactly where this place is, but it looks amazing! You should totally come with me! (looks at fake photo of a beautiful beach) We'd have a whole beach all to ourselves. It'll be great! What do you say?

ABBY: (blushing) I'd love to, Otis, I really would. But I could only afford one ticket, and I thought you deserved it, for being such an incredible leader and all.

OTIS: (ears drooping) Bummer. I thought it might be fun for you and I to go together. (perks up) Ah, well. Guess I'll start packing.

ABBY: Tell you what. I'll come see you off. How does that sound?

OTIS: (smiling softly) I'd love that.

~End flashback~

She would never forgive Bessy for making her do that.

~Flashback (Chapter 8 of Hanging Tough)~

OTIS: Look, if anything happens to me out there, blame me, not Bessy. I know she was the reason I got sent off to boot camp. But the only reason I'm here, now, is because I was too proud to leave. Everything that happens from here on in is _my_ fault, no one else's.

~End flashback~

_You realize that Otis was only trying to be nice,_ the mean voice chimed in. _You and he both knew it was your fault he was leaving. So what if Bessy made you do it. You could've said no. But you didn't!_

Tears blurring her vision, Abby tried desperately to silence the cruel words, but to no avail. The voice was about to speak up again, when Pip showed up at her door.

"What do you want, Pip?" Abby choked.

"Um, the guys and I were talking, and-"

"Pip, get on with it."

"Okay, okay! You're probably not in the mood to talk right now, so I'll just cut to the chase. Congratulations, new leader!" Pip scurried off, leaving Abby alone in her stall.

Abby's heart stopped. In a chain of events lasting only ten hours, she had become the new leader of the barnyard! A determined expression crossed her face. She knew exactly what her first action as the new leader would be.

Otis would need a funeral.

**Sorry about the long chapter. I just had a lot of flashbacks to go from.**

**Okay, now I know that the dialogue in the flashbacks wasn't accurate, but they would be if I had all those episodes on DVD or something. Besides, it doesn't really have to be that accurate. I just needed you to know where all those scenes came from, that's all.**

**(to the voice in Abby's head) SHUT UP ALREADY!!! NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR YOU!!!**


	14. The Diary

**I got to work on this chapter as soon as Chapter 13 was finished. What I'm planning to do at this point is write chapters 13, 14, 15, and 16, and post them all at once. Because of that, I gotta write fast if I'm to keep my readers (that's you guys) from waiting too long. I don't have writer's block anymore; only time is an issue now.**

Abby was sprawled out on her hay bed, a somber expression on her face as she wrote out the plans for Otis's funeral. She had been at this for hours; Otis was very special to her and therefore, she wanted his funeral to be the most memorable one ever.

She even had her laptop out and was searching the Internet for funeral decorations. When the day of Otis's memorial service came, the inside of this barn would be the most beautiful sight the congregation had ever seen.

Abby took a brief glance out of her window and saw a camouflage-painted Humvee parked outside the farmer's driveway. A man in USMC dress blues exited the truck and jogged towards the barn through the torrential downpour cradling a MICH TC-2000 combat helmet under his right arm.

Abby prepared herself. She threw on her blue-jeans and pink polka-dotted blouse and waited for the marine to knock on the barn door. She answered it to see a man wearing soaked dress blues.

The marine handed Abby the helmet. "This was all we found," he said plainly. Frowning solemnly, Abby took the helmet from him. Inside were various medals that Otis had earned, as well as a small, pocket-sized book entitled, "Otis's War Diary, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit".

Abby gave the soldier a smile. "Thanks. I'll find a good home for all this." She got an idea. "Wait right there."

She hurried back to her stall and came out with a large umbrella. She handed it to the marine. "You'll probably want to hang on to that," she said. "It doesn't look like this rain's going to let up anytime soon."

"Thank you, ma'am." With the umbrella unfolded over his head, the man in the dress blues strolled almost casually through the pouring rain back to his Humvee. Abby could hear the tires screeching as the truck took off.

Abby walked back to her hay bed and emptied the contents of the TC-2000 combat helmet onto her blanket, noticing Otis's name written on the front of the helmet with black marker. Another thing she noticed was that all of Otis's medals were labeled. She took the time to read each one.

The first medal was a gold star, inside the perimeter of which was a gold laurel wreath encircling a smaller silver star in the middle. The ribbon had a red stripe down the middle, with rest of the stripes alternating between blue and white. _The Silver Star, awarded for spirited and conspicuous bravery in action against an enemy of the United States._

The second medal was a green laurel wreath tied in a knot at the bottom. Overlapping this was a white, five-point star with a maroon border. In the very center was a blue disk surrounded by golden pearls. And on the blue disk were 13 white stars arranged in the pattern that appears on the United States Coat of Arms. The ribbon was maroon with a silver highlight. _The Legion of Merit, awarded for the performance of outstanding services and achievements._

The third medal was simply a gold star with a bronze star inside of it. The ribbon was red with a blue stripe down the middle. _The bronze star, awarded for heroic or meritorious service to the United States._

The fourth medal was a dark violet heart with a thick golden outline. George Washington's silhouette, carved out of gold, sat in the center of the medal. The ribbon was purple with white highlights. _The Purple Heart, awarded to military personnel who have been wounded in action._

The fifth and final medal was a solid gold coin. Carved out of the front side was a mountain range, in front of which was an outline of the nation of Afghanistan. Carved out of the back side was the head of an American bald eagle, as well as the words: FOR SERVICE IN AFGHANISTAN. _The Afghanistan Campaign Medal, awarded for military service in Afghanistan._

Next, Abby's eyes shifted to Otis's war diary. At first she felt she would be invading Otis's privacy, but she had a million questions about Otis's service in Afghanistan, none of which she had answers for. She opened to a random page in the book:

_Afghanistan Campaign, Day 3,_

_We've lost contact with Dog Company. It wasn't hard to figure out why. Our platoon traced the communications wire until we found it severed in a crater that could only have been caused by an RPG. This happens all the time. Communications cables are always getting cut by random explosions, shrapnel, you name it. I'm starting to wish we had one of those portable radios. Then this wouldn't be such a necessary burden._

Abby turned the page.

_Afghanistan Campaign, Day 4,_

_Unbelievable! We're only four days into the campaign, and we're already short on supplies. We made it last as long as we could, though (we didn't really have that much to start with). Good thing Regiment HQ is always thinking ahead. We came across a supply dump at Checkpoint Bravo._

_The Taliban are currently using a train station up ahead as a command post. According to Lt. Col. Wilkes, it's changed hands at least eight times in the last 48 hours. The safest way to reach it is through the sewers, as long as the Taliban don't know we're in there, of course. For all we know, they already do._

_P.S. Quite frankly, I was dreading the sewers. Nothing brightens your day more than finding yourself waist-deep in everyone else's-well-let's just say these Afghan people don't keep their sewers very clean._

Abby turned the page.

_Afghanistan Campaign, Day 5,_

_We've taken shelter in the train station's basement. From there, we can hear the Taliban talking amongst themselves further down the street. They don't know we've taken this place. Tomorrow morning, we set out to recapture the rest of the block._

Abby skipped a few pages. She wanted to get this book done fast so she could finish planning Otis's funeral. After all, it did have a deadline.

_Afghanistan Campaign, Day10,_

_Fox Company took a beating today. We were ordered to escort a convoy of Humvees back to base camp. Along the way, we were ambushed by RPG-wielding Taliban, leaving a chain of smoldering wreckage a dozen vehicles long! Right now we're working on repairs. That means base camp will have to wait._

Abby skipped ahead another few pages.

_Afghanistan Campaign, Day 15, _(the day after Otis and Abby shared their kiss over the computer in Chapter 9)

_We've had little to do for the past few days, holding our positions in Kabul's Central District and waiting for the rest of the regiment to catch up with us (I even took the opportunity yesterday to get in touch with Abby). For whatever reason, it looks like the Taliban packed up and left in a hurry. Either they're running scared, or simply regrouping. Either way, this situation is about to get desperate for one of us._

Abby skipped another few pages.

_Afghanistan Campaign, Day 18,_

_We were able to rescue a cut off platoon of British troops this morning and send to the nearest medcenter via Blackhawk. We found out later that four of them were too badly wounded, and didn't make it._

_Tomorrow morning, our mission is to destroy a Taliban communications outpost about a mile southeast of here. We're going in via Stryker. I gotta admit, that's a bit of a relief. I've heard a lot of good things about those vehicles. I heard once that in a Stryker, you can get in, do your job, and get out before the enemy even knows you're there! And that's exactly what I'm counting on tomorrow morning._

Aware that she was running low on time, Abby flipped to the most recent entry. It would be the last entry she would read today.

_Afghanistan Campaign, Day 28,_

_What a relief! We're going home! The entire regiment! We've fought long and hard this last month, but boy will it be worth it to see all my friends again, especially Abby._

_Just as exciting is the fact that we're getting a ride back to base camp in Blackhawk helicopters. Those things are so much fun! They're like roller coasters without the tracks (maybe I'll take Abby up in one sometime). I wish Prekowski were here. He would have loved this._

The rest of the book was blank.

Tears welled up in Abby's eyes as she closed the pocket-sized diary and placed it in her drawer. Killed in action on the day he was supposed to come home? It just wasn't fair!

It was getting late, so Abby slid her funeral plans under the bed, turned her light out, and crawled into bed, clutching Otis's helmet as she wept silently.

**I know this chapter seems a little rushed. That's because I was so busy writing those diary entries, that I forgot how far I was going with it. So, I decided to wrap it up before I bored everyone to tears.**

**I know, I could have done a **_**lot**_** better on this chapter. Chapter 16 will be better, though.**


	15. The Funeral

**Here's Chapter 15! I actually put some time into this one.**

The day of Otis's funeral had come. Abby stepped out of her stall and admired the results of her planning. Row upon row of wooden benches filled the barn. Up at the very front was a table with a massive American Flag draped over it tablecloth-style. Sitting on top of the table was Otis's combat helmet as well as the diary and five medals that were all that remained of Abby's boyfriend. Bouquets of beautiful red, white, and blue flowers surrounded the table. To one side stood the American Flag, and to the other stood the flag of the United States Marine Corps.

Abby then looked out the window and, through the torrential downpour, she could see Humvees parking in the farmer's driveway, men in Marine Corps dress blues doing their best to shelter themselves from the rain as they jogged towards the barn. The first guests were arriving. Abby threw on a satin black dress that she had purchased just for this occasion and styled her hair to conceal her bovine features. She then turned on the boom box under the table, fighting back tears as the sad melody, _Mansions of the Lord, _by Randall Wallace sounded throughout the barn:

_To fallen soldiers let us sing,_

_Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing._

_Our broken brothers let us bring_

_To the mansions of the Lord._

_No more weeping, no more fight;_

_No prayers pleading through the night._

_Just divind embrace, eternal light_

_In the mansions of the Lord._

_Where no fathers cry and no children weep,_

_We will stand and guard while the angels sleep._

_And through the ages safely keep_

_The mansions of the Lord._

Slowly, but gradually, the benches began to fill with Marines in dress blues as well as residents of the barnyard (in disguise, of course). Abby noticed that many of the marines were also animals in disguise. Among those marines Abby could spot a bull, a rottweiler, and two horses, one of which she recognized as Lance Corporal Maslow (see Chapter 9). Abby took a seat next to Freddy and Peck (the funeral hadn't even begun yet, and they were already sobbing into each other's shoulder). Abby did her best to ignore the mournful behavior as an African-American man in dress blues took his place at the podium.

"Good afternoon," the man said in a deep, Darth Vader-like voice. "We are gathered here today to remember Gunnery Sergeant Otis, United States Marine Corps. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Levi Wilkes, Otis's commanding officer." The familiar name got Abby's attention. This was the same person who had sent her the tragic news of Otis's death, not to mention the same person Otis had written about in several pages of his diary.

Wilkes continued his eulogy. "This is indeed a sad day for all of us, especially the Marine Corps. Otis was a model soldier, not to mention the go-to guy for a morale boost. That's why I was going to recommend him for a promotion to Second Lieutenant. Unfortunately, the tragic day came before I got the chance to put the good word in."

"Otis was everything you looked for in a Marine: willing, courageous, and willing to give his life for his country without a second thought. In fact he even carried three wounded marines to safety through a hail of gunfire. I know, because I was one of them. All three of us are alive today because of Otis, and it was because of this bravery in action that he received the Silver Star and a promotion to Gunnery Sergeant."

Wilkes gripped the edges of the podium and hung his head. "I'm probably not the person to be up here today. I was only Otis's CO; I didn't have any close relationship with him. So at this time I would like to call forward someone who was closer to him than I ever could have been. Lance Corporal Maslow, would you please take the stands?"

"Yes, sir." The horse-in-disguise rose from his seat and took Wilkes's place at the podium. "Otis and I were close friends during our tour of duty in Afghanistan. During the time we spent together at the base, he and I would play prank after prank after prank on each other." Maslow chuckled. "Here's my favorite: Otis was going to deflate a helium balloon in my barracks so that my voice would get all high and squeaky. But what he didn't count on was that the helium would leak out into the rest of the base." He stifled a snicker. "And by the end of the day, everyone at the base, including Otis himself, sounded like Alvin and the Chipmunks!" This got some appreciative laughter out of the congregation. Even Abby giggled.

Maslow went on, grinning ear to ear. "You should have heard the CO screaming his head off at Otis in that squeaky chipmunk voice! But that's not the funniest story. Otis and I were at the firing range, when I managed to unclip his belt without him noticing. He aimed an M1014 down-range, took one shot, and his combat trousers went straight to the floor, revealing Halo-print bozers!"

The entire congregation, including Abby, erupted in laughter. Sharing memories of Otis was making her feel better by the minute! Maslow waited for the uproar to die down before continuing. "Yes, Otis could always make us laugh, even with bullets whizzing by our heads. And that's why Fox Company all pitched in to put together this montage in his honor. Lights, please!"

While the lights dimmed, a group of marines set up a video projector and screen. Maslow walked to the projector and pressed _Play_. In response, the canvas screen displayed various images of Otis. One picture showed him posing in his dress blues with an expressionless face (all Marines get their picture taken like this as soon as they are accepted into the Corps). Other pictures showed him posing casually with an M60 slung behind one shoulder, and an FGM-148 Javelin slung behind the other, seating a smiling Afghan child on his shoulders, huddling in a foxhole with Maslow, etc. The montage progressed to _Minstrel Boy_ by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. Pang after pang of sorrow struck Abby as the sad song played:

_The minstrel boy to war hath gone._

_In the ranks of death, you'll find him._

_His father's sword he hath girded on;_

_His wild harp slung behind him._

"_Land of Song!" said the warrior bard,_

"_Though all the world betrays thee,_

_One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard;_

_One faithful harp shall praise thee."_

_The minstrel fell, but the foeman's chain_

_Could not bring that proud soul under._

_That harp he loved ne'er spoke again,_

_For he tore its chords asunder;_

_And said, "No chains shall sully thee,_

_Thou soul of love and bravery._

_Thy songs were made for the pure and free;_

_They shall never sound in slavery."_

The final verse was higher in pitch, and was accompanied by flute, creating an even sadder melody.

_The minstrel boy will return, we pray._

_When we hear the news, we will cheer it._

_The minstrel boy will return one day,_

_Torn in body but not in spirit._

_Then he may play on his harp in peace_

_In a world such as God intended._

_For the bitterness of man must cease,_

_And every battle must be ended._

After several more eulogies, the funeral was finally over. Abby checked her watch as the congregation left in an orderly fashion. _7 PM already?! _she thought. _That means Otis's funeral lasted six hours!_ It was a better turnout than she had hoped for.

After the last of the congregation took off in their Humvees and drove into the rainy night, Abby solemnly strode back to her stall and removed from her drawer that drawing of herself and Otis in each other's arms, kissing passionately (from Chapter 3). After a few minutes of contemplation, she went ahead and gave Otis the wings and halo she had been thinking about.

Abby took the now-finished drawing, stapled it to her love shrine, and, with tears in her eyes, saluted. Otis truly was her angel. And now, he had the wings and halo to prove it!

**I am really proud of the end of this chapter (it moved me, too). But I wasn't going to include all of the eulogies, or it would bore you to tears. That's just not something I'm known for.**

**Mansions of the Lord: Words by Randall Wallace (1949-). Music by Nick Glennie-Smith (1951-).**

**Hear now: ****.com/watch?v=yZkE6ksNEEo**

**Minstrel Boy: Words by Thomas Moore (1779-1852). Music by Joe Strummer (1952-2002).**

**Hear now: ****.com/watch?v=-vubPZf-yDI**

**Go to Youtube, and copy and paste these addresses. Fanfiction wouldn't let me put in the full link.**


	16. I'm Alive!

**Okay, now I know you were hit pretty hard by the last few chapters. So, if this one doesn't cheer you up, I don't know what will!**

Abby had taken the time to find a good home for what was left of Otis. She had pinned the five medals on Otis's stall door, slipped the war diary deep into her drawer, and tucked the combat helmet into her bed, that she may spend every night with him.

It had been several days since it started raining, and it was still pouring buckets. Abby wondered how much longer the rain would last so she could go back outside. She had, after all, sacrificed her umbrella to that one marine who brought her the helmet and medals.

Abby fished out Otis's diary and continued reading, hoping that something would come up about her. As she was doing this, she noticed several bulls around the barnyard staring at her with seductive smiles, all of them obviously aware that she was single again. Abby did her best to ignore them. She was sure they were all nice guys, but none of them would satisfy her the way Otis had.

Abby flipped to the very last page in the diary and noticed something that was addressed to her:

_Dear Abby,_

_If you're reading this, then I'm glad I was able to share my experiences with you. Come talk to me sometime and I'll fill you in on all the details._

_Love,_

_Otis._

_P.S. This is kind of embarrassing for me to say, but Abby, I love-_

The rest of the page had been burned away.

Abby fought back tears. She knew exactly what the rest of that note said. And she would never get the chance to say it back.

Abby looked outside the window with her head in her hooves and stared off intro space, dreaming of the day when she and Otis would be reunited in heaven. She had just reached the marriage scene in her mind when that all-too familiar camouflage Humvee parked in the farmer's driveway, and the same marine who had given her Otis's helmet emerged from the vehicle. Abby could tell, because that was her umbrella that was over his head.

Abby groaned. _Great,_ she thought. _Now he's probably going to tell me he found Otis's left arm or something._ She decided she wouldn't answer the door this time. She had already heard enough bad news.

But, surprisingly enough, the man was headed for the mailbox, deposited a letter, then went back to his Humvee and took off.

Abby burst through the barn's front door and sprinted on all fours towards the mailbox. The mud and wet grass squished beneath her hooves as she threw the mailbox open, seized the letter, and hurried back to the barn.

By the time she got back, she was completely soaked, and covered in mud from the knees down. She checked the return address, and was shocked to find that it was from Otis! _Could he be alive?_ she wondered. She quickly dismissed the thought. Not only would that be too good to be true, but it did take the mail a long time to reach a place like this.

Abby sighed and opened the letter. Her heart leapt to her throat as she squealed with joy.

The letter read simply:

_Dear Abby,_

_I'm alive! And I'm already on my way home!_

_-Otis._

Outside, the torrential downpour finally subsided, and a rainbow appeared in the distance.

**HA! SEE?! I told you it would get better! You didn't honestly think I'd get rid of Otis, did you?! If you did, then YOU JUST PLAIN IGNANT, DAWG!!! (Just kidding) ^_^**

***hugs Otis* Glad you're coming home, big guy. Everybody missed you.**


	17. Together Again!

**Okay, I know you Obby fans have been waiting long and hard for this chapter, and I apologize for the wait. Enjoy!**

Abby tossed and turned in her hay bed, too excited for words. Otis, _her_ Otis, was coming home tomorrow morning! She could practically feel him curled up under a blanket right next to her, but that still didn't calm her down.

_Otis must be going through the same emotions right now!_ Abby thought. Tingles filled her body as she pictured Otis curled up in his barracks, opening up a heart-shaped gold locket with a picture of him and Abby inside.

Without a word, she took Otis's combat helmet from the top of her dresser, tucked it into bed next to her, and drifted on back to sleep.

_The next morning…_

Abby leaned on the windowsill, staring excitedly out the window, waiting for her boyfriend to come home after a month in Afghanistan. She had not left this position since 5:30 AM.

Suddenly, a Humvee with a desert camo paint job and MARINES inscripted on the side door in brown box letters pulled up just outside the fence. Stepping out of the vehicle, still in his combat gear and with a field cap on his head, was Otis! Abby squealed with joy. It took all of her strength not to burst out of the barn door on two legs, assuming that a human was driving the truck.

As soon as the Humvee was out of sight, Abby happily threw the barn doors open, cupped her hooves to her mouth, called out Otis's name as loud as she could, charged toward him on all fours, and like a playful puppy greeting its master, tackled Otis to the ground and covered his face in kisses. The impact caused Otis's field cap to fly off his head and land twelve feet away.

Otis laughed, still on the ground. "I take it you're glad I'm home?"

Abby sighed dreamily, still on top of Otis. "Oh, Otis, you have no idea how much I've-" She gasped in horror. A closer look at Otis's face revealed several scars as well as bandages wrapped tightly over his eyes. "Otis, you're… you're blind!"

"Yeah, listen. I-"

"Oh, Otis," Abby held him close and kissed him firmly on the lips. "How did this happen?!"

"Shrapnel." Otis gently lifted Abby off of him and stood up. "Listen, I'll tell you all about it later, I promise. Right now I just want to see the rest of the guys."

With Abby clinging to his arm, Otis took a deep breath and entered the barn. It wasn't long before he was dogpiled by a joyful circle of friends, knocking him back to the ground (all except for Bessy and Duke, who just stood maturely by the side and watched). The banner with a drawing of Otis reading WELCOME BACK, OTIS hung on the far wall (the same one from Lord of the Beavers).

Otis sighed as he stood back up. "It's good to be back." He pulled Abby close and puckered up for another kiss.

"Um, Otis," Abby stammered. "I'm over here."

"Wait a minute. If you're over there, then who-"

"Hey dum-dum, you've got to the count of three to let go of me!"

Otis immediately let go, shuddering at the thought of what he had almost done. The rest of the gang laughed, but no one made fun of him like they had in the past. Otis smiled contentedly as they all went back to their stalls._ Wow, they've really grown up since I left for Afghanistan,_ Otis thought.

As Abby was guiding the blind Otis back to his stall, she started giggling. "What's so funny?" Otis asked with a smile.

Abby's giggling died down long enough for her to answer. "So, Halo-print boxers, huh?"

**The End? I don't think so! Chapter 18 coming soon!**


	18. An Officer and a Gentleman

**I planned to update as soon as Gewlicious reviewed, and when I make a plan, I stick to it! Chapter 18, everyone!**

Otis and Abby were enjoying a romantic picnic in a secluded area of the barnyard. Abby had rested a half-asleep Otis's head in her lap and was feeding him grapes when she spotted Duke approaching from the barn.

She gently shook Otis awake and lifted him to his feet. "I think Duke's coming," she whispered in his ear.

Duke reached the picnic site, cleared his throat, and handed Otis a letter. "Ahem. Otis, this came for you."

"Who sent it?"

"Not sure. It says something about a C-O, whatever that is."

Otis smiled. "It must be Colonel Wilkes, then. Thanks, Duke."

"You got it, boss!" Duke took off for the barn.

Abby put her hoof on Otis's shoulder as he opened the envelope. "Want me to read it to you?" (remember, Otis is blind)

Otis smiled warmly at her and drew her close as the two lovebirds sat back down on the tablecloth. Abby knew what that gesture meant.

Abby gently took the envelope from Otis, removed the letter, and began to read:

"Dear Gunnery Sergeant Otis, United States Marine Corps,

The Regiment's morale took a beating when we heard about the helicopter crash. There are no words to express my joy at the news that you survived. You'll be happy to know that your friends in the Marine Corps, with the exception of Sergeant Prekowski, of course, have all made it home safe and sound, and that they will all be paying you a visit tomorrow morning, including myself. I want you to be in your dress blues by 9:30 AM. I'll have a surprise for you when I arrive.

See you then,

Lieutenant Colonel Levi Wilkes United States Marine Corps."

Abby trembled with excitement. She'd get to see Otis in his dress blues again! She remembered how incredibly handsome Otis looked the first time he appeared before her in that shining, sparkling uniform. He looked comparable to a prince!

_The next morning…_

Abby was in her human disguise and had just finished helping Otis into his dress uniform when she heard a knock on the barn door. She opened it to see several Humvees as well as other vehicles emblazoned with Marine Corps logos parked outside the farm. Several dozen men in dress blues were piling out, one of whom, who Abby recognized from Otis's funeral as Colonel Wilkes, was already at the door, a friendly smile on his face.

"Good morning, ma'am," Wilkes said in his Darth Vader-like voice. "May I speak to Otis, please?"

"Sure." As Abby was pointing Wilkes towards Otis's stall, she noticed Otis's new friend, Maslow. She decided to go introduce herself.

_Meanwhile, in Otis's stall…_

"As you were," Wilkes said gently. Otis had been at attention since Wilkes arrived at his stall.

"I'm glad to see that you survived the helicopter crash. We're looking for more survivors, but as of now, you're the only one."

"Thank you, sir," Otis said. "But I have a question."

"Anything, Sergeant."

"Will I ever see again?"

Wilkes sighed. "I'm not sure, Otis. The Medical Corps is working on it, and you'd be surprised to see what they're coming up with."

"And wouldn't blindness qualify for a medical discharge, heaven forbid?"

"Heaven forbid is right. But, like I said before, we're doing everything we can to get your eyesight back. And even if we can't, we'll find a use for you. You're just too good a Marine to get rid of."

Otis smiled. "Thank you, sir."

Wilkes continued. "Speaking of being a good Marine, do you remember reading in your letter yesterday that I would have a surprise for you when I got here?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Well, I talked to my superiors about making a commissioned officer out of you, and Division wouldn't have it any other way. Long story short, congratulations on your promotion, Second Lieutenant Otis!"

While anyone else might have leapt out of their seat and jumped for joy, such childish behavior was looked down on in the Marine Corps. Otis simply bowed at the neck and dismissed Wilkes with a brief, "Thank you, sir."

Otis followed Wilkes out of his stall, only to be ambushed by a hug from both Abby and Maslow. "Hey, Otis," Maslow shouted cheerfully above the dozens of voices. "Abby told me all about you and the mountain lions!" He nudged Otis's side with his elbow. "That took guts, big guy! If you had told me about that earlier, I would have put you in for a promotion weeks ago!"

Otis smiled and put an arm around Abby's waist. "Well, Maslow, some things are just more important."

**Now I know this looks like the end of the story, but it really isn't. Just bear with me. Chow for now!**


	19. It Was Only a Dream

**I was bored, so I decided to go ahead and write another chapter. Enjoy and review!**

_It was a chilly day, but the happy couple Otis and Abby had no trouble keeping themselves and each other nice and toasty warm in Pig's steaming mud gecuzzi, which Pig had agreed to let them borrow for the afternoon. The two bovines were already nestled in each other's arms and were locked in a passionate make-out session. Otis had Abby's braid undone and was running one of his hooves through her soft, blond hair. Tingles filled Abby as she shared this romantic moment with her boyfriend._

_Suddenly, the mud gecuzzi's floor gave way beneath the two lovebirds, and they immediately started sinking. If they had noticed, however, it certainly didn't show. They remained in each other's embrace, their lips locked together as the warm, steaming, bubbling mud rose up to their chests, then their shoulders, their chins, and ultimately closed over their heads…_

Abby awoke to silence. Her alarm clock read 2:18 AM. The covers had been pulled over her head. She pulled herself free and sat upright in her hay bed, straightening out her pink, plush robe that she had worn to bed. _It was only a dream,_ Abby thought with a disappointed sigh.

Then, a nauseating thought crossed her mind. _Have I been dreaming this whole time?! Is Otis still dead?!_ Abby could feel tears welling up in her eyes at the thought, but noise coming from Otis's stall quickly dismissed it before her tears could flow free.

Abby got out of bed and looked in that direction, breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing Otis. But something seemed to be wrong. Otis was tossing and turning in his sleep like a madman, mumbling loudly. Abby couldn't make out what he was saying, but as Abby approached her sleeping boyfriend, she could catch a few words:

"…We need to get this Javelin locked and loaded on the double…"

"…Medic! We need a medic over here…"

"…Grenades! Hit the deck…"

"…Net call! Net call! This is Apache Red One requesting an immediate…"

"…Prekowski, nooooo…"

Abby crept up to Otis and gently shook him. "Otis, Otis, wake up." After about two minutes of this, Otis bolted upright in his hay bed, panting heavily.

"Abby, is that you?" Otis whispered. He felt around in the dark for Abby, and when he found her, pulled her into his warm, cozy lap, threw his arms around her waist, and buried his face in her shoulder, whimpering like a frightened puppy. "Oh, Abby, it was horrible! Our convoy was ambushed, Prekowski's Humvee took a direct hit from an RPG, and when I pulled him out of the burning wreckage, his face had already melted away, and-"

"Otis, Otis, shhh." Abby cooed, placing a hoof on Otis's lips and wrapped her free arm around his shoulders. "Sounds like you had a terrible nightmare." Otis nodded, his lower lip trembling and tears staining the bandages over his eyes.

Abby then got a rather devious idea. She gently shoved Otis to the side of his hay bed and climbed into bed next to him. As soon as she was in place, Otis hugged her around the waist again and rested his head on her shoulder, calming down almost immediately. Abby giggled. "Well, someone likes to cuddle."

Otis smiled at her. "Well, it helps when you wear soft, plushy outfits like these," he purred.

Abby grinned ear to ear, snuggled deeper into Otis's embrace, and pulled the Marine Corps blanket up to his chin. _Sleep well, handsome,_ she thought. _And if those big, bad nightmares ever come back, I'll be here to protect you._ It was her last conscious thought of the evening.

"**It is good that war is so horrible. Otherwise, we would grow fond of it." –General Robert E. Lee**


	20. Campfire Stories

**I promised myself I'd update tonight, but it turns out I had Internet failure. But that's only because my dad was tampering with the modems. I barely had enough time to complete this chapter! Also, I had the worst case of writer's block, but I'm glad that's over. Enjoy Chapter 20!**

Abby woke up the next morning to find herself still in Otis's bed. When she realized this, and felt a pair of strong, muscular arms tighten around her chest, she trembled with excitement. It could only mean one thing.

She gently pulled back the covers, and sure enough, sleeping like a baby, buried up to his snout in soft bedding, was Otis. Abby smiled warmly at him. He looked so peaceful when he slept, and Abby was glad their little cuddle-fest had gone un-interrupted.

Abby was glad she had done this for Otis. Her parents had always told her to never do anything that she would be ashamed to talk about. But this didn't qualify. She had just comforted Otis after he had a disturbing nightmare about the war in Afghanistan! She was his security blanket. What was to be ashamed of?

Abby's smile turned sly. Being careful not to wake up her boyfriend, she gently slid her arms around his chest and started massaging his lats, enjoying the feel of Otis's soft, velvety skin. Abby wasn't aware that she was slowly working her way down, and by the time she was, she was already caressing his massive hips.

Otis stirred a little, and Abby, afraid that she would have to explain to him why she was touching his butt, quickly brought her arms up around Otis's waist. Otis, however, didn't wake.

Abby snuggled back into Otis's arms, kissed him lightly on the forehead, and was just about to fall back asleep when she heard that familiar, cheerful voice. "Morning, Abby."

Abby looked down to find Otis awake, grinning ear to ear at her. Abby giggled sheepishly. "Oh, I'm sorry if I woke you up."

Otis chuckled and scratched his chin mockingly. "Gee, who would I rather have wake me up in the morning? My girlfriend, or that loud, noisy, migraine-inducing alarm clock?" Abby giggled, got up out of bed, and straightened out her plush robe. As she started towards the door, Otis grabbed her arm. "Where ya goin'?" he cooed.

"I'm gonna go get your breakfast ready." Abby gently tucked Otis back into his bed. "Don't worry; I'll bring it to you." With that, she left the stall.

Otis lay back on his hay bed and rested his head in his hands. _How lucky am I?_

_Later that day…_

Bessy's class had gathered around her for story time (Abby had volunteered again to help), but oddly enough, no one seemed interested in the story she had chosen.

"Sorry, Bessy," Macy said, "but there's only one story we want to hear."

"Yeah!" Joey chimed in. "We want to hear how Otis served with the Marines in Afghanistan!"

Abby perked up. "I'll go get him! You all wait here!"

_At Otis's stall…_

Abby silently crept up behind her unsuspecting boyfriend and pounced on him, throwing her arms over his shoulders. "Guess who!"

"Oh, hey, Abby. Breakfast was delicious, by the way. What's your secret?"

Abby giggled. "Later. Right now the kids want you to tell them a story."

"Oh, really? Which one?"

"They want to hear about what you did over in Afghanistan."

Otis raised an eyebrow. "Afghanistan?! Are you sure? I mean, if those children get nightmares like I did, guess who Bessy's going to blame for it."

"So, are you going to do it?"

"Of course! Just tell the children to be at the campfire at 8:00 PM tonight."

_8:00 PM that night…_

Abby held Otis's hoof tightly in hers as she guided the blind bull towards the campfire, where Joey, Macy, Boyle, and a couple dozen other kids were waiting patiently for him. Some were roasting marshmallows and complaining how sticky they were.

Before Otis and Abby could even take their seats at the campfire, the children went silent, waiting eagerly for the war stories to begin. Boyle the Chick was the first one to speak up.

"So, Otis, how come everyone thought you were dead?" He hoped it wasn't an inappropriate question to ask.

"Well," Otis cleared his throat. "That's a story that I've wanted to get out in the open for quite a while now. It was the day I was supposed to leave Afghanistan and come home. We all thought the violence was over for us. But the UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter we were riding back to base started taking RPG fire from a Taliban outpost on a cliff. The engine took a direct hit and our ride spun out of control. It continued to spin until it crash-landed at the bottom of a canyon in the Hindu Kush Mountains. Maslow and I were the only two survivors (I was blinded and he suffered a broken arm), but I found out later that the reason we were left for dead was because the rest of the regiment couldn't see us from where they were. They had continued to search for hours, but by the time we were found alive, our friends had already been informed that we didn't survive."

As the crowd of children _oooh_ed and _aaah_ed at Otis's tales, Abby quietly snuck off to fetch the Yellow Pages. She was going to get the best eye doctor in town so that Otis would see again!

**Believe it or not, I had been daydreaming about the beginning of this chapter for two or three days before writing it, and then it occurred to me: "Why are you thinking about it?! WRITE IT ALREADY!!!" I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.**


	21. A Renewed Vision

**Okay, sorry about the long wait, people. I know, I promised to update earlier, but I had college finals to study for. Throw in a little writer's block, and that makes for a frustrating combination. Anyway, here's Chapter 21! Enjoy!**

_The next day…_

"So, where are we going?" Otis asked from the shotgun position in the farmer's truck.

Abby, who was driving, simply giggled. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?"

Where she was _really _taking him was to the office of a very skilled ophthalmologist (eye surgeon), so that Otis could get his eyesight back. Abby felt bad that she had to dip into the farmer's credit card account to pay for Otis's surgery. Her only saving grace was that the farmer brought home $10,000 a month from the farmer's market. He wouldn't miss a mere $6500.

The truck pulled into a parking space just outside the hospital, and the two cows, both in human disguise (Otis in his Marine Corps utility uniform), stepped up to the front desk, Abby holding Otis's hoof to keep him from wandering into a wall.

"Hi. We're here to see Dr. Ingram," Abby told the man at the desk.

"Ah, yes, he told me you'd be here. He'll be ready for you in thirty minutes."

Abby spent that half-hour in a chair next to a magazine rack. She picked up one of those _Leatherneck_ issues that Otis had taken an interest in since he joined the Corps, and started reading. Otis's hoof remained clasped in hers. She didn't want her blind boyfriend wandering around knocking people over.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, a gray-haired man in a white lab coat well into his fifties stepped out of the operation room. His nametag read _Ingram_. "Lieutenant Otis," he called out in a thick British accent. "We're ready for you down the hall."

Otis smiled at Abby. "Does this have something to do with your little 'surprise'?"

Abby giggled again. "You'll find out, won't you?" Dr. Ingram took Otis's wrist and led him inside.

Abby suddenly felt herself overcome with worry, but not because of a possible mishap during the operation. She had learned over the phone that Dr. Ingram had thirty-five years of medical school under his belt. He knew what he was doing. What worried her was that Ingram might accidentally reveal Otis's true identity as a talking cow. She put her ear to the door so she could hear exactly what direction the operation was taking.

"Good morning, Lieutenant. I'm Doctor Markus Ingram. This is my assistant, Lambert."

"Pleased to meet you both. Now Doc, I was never told why I'm here. Could you please explain?"

"I would, but your girlfriend requested that it be kept a secret."

"So you were in on this, too?"

"I'm afraid so. But it was your girlfriend who put this all together, so you can trust me. Now the first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to inject this sedative into your bloodstream. You should be unconscious throughout the entire operation."

"And if I wake up in the middle of it?"

"Well, then, I will have some suing to do, won't I?" (laughter) "Now here, give me your arm." (sound of needle entering skin, followed by a soft _thump_) "There. He's out cold. Now, first things first, we need to get these bandages off his eyes."

(sound of bandages being torn off, followed by a female voice) "Oh, goodness! How did this happen to him?!"

"His girlfriend told me over the phone. I could hardly understand that southern accent of hers, but the two words I _did _catch were _Afghanistan,_ and _shrapnel_. Now let's take him in here."

At this point, Abby couldn't hear anything more. She sighed and went back to the _Leatherneck _magazine she was reading, eager to find out what had attracted Otis's interest so much. Seconds seemed like hours as she flipped through the pages. By the time Dr. Ingram came out to see her, she could have sworn she had had another birthday, even though it was only forty-five minutes.

"He's ready for you to see him, now," Ingram said as he led Abby inside, where Otis was busy reading an eye chart. The first thing Abby noticed when Otis turned around to see her was that his deep, navy blue eyes were a now a dazzling cerulean. Abby had to admit, this was an even better look for him.

"So, do you like them?" Otis asked. Abby simply stared, causing Otis to chuckle. "I'll take that as a yes."

_I need to think of something cool to do for Abby,_ Otis thought as the two bovines walked hand-in-hand back to the farmer's truck. It wasn't long before he thought of something. _That'll do just fine…_

**Awww, how cute! So, what is Otis planning to do for Abby? You'll have your answer on New Year's Day! Until then, this is FlamethrowerElite saying: "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, each and every one of you!"**


	22. A Ride to Remember

**Okay, I know I promised to update a couple days ago, but I had to see my grandmother off (it was the day she was leaving to go back home to Michigan). And for that, I offer my sincerest apologies (especially to you, SweetyJen101, you sounded a little upset in your latest review. Anyway, I really think you're going to enjoy Chapter 22. Well, I hope you do, anyway...**

"_Oh, Otis, this diamond necklace is beautiful!" Abby exclaimed joyfully as she opened the black velvet box. "Oh, I wish I had something for you!"_

_Otis smiled slyly. "Well, there is one thing."_

_Knowing exactly what he meant, Abby slid her arms over Otis's shoulders and moved in for a kiss..._

"Abby, Abby!" Otis whispered into Abby's ear, gently shaking her. Abby woke up to find out that she had been making out with her pillow in her sleep again.

She rubbed her eyes and checked her alarm clock. "Otis, it's five in the morning. What are you doing?"

Otis, still bent over the half-asleep she-cow, was grinning ear to ear. "I've got a surprise for you. Have a human disguise ready and meet me outside the barn." Abby returned the grin as Otis strode out of her stall, and she could have sworn that she saw a spring in his step.

Abby pried herself free of the cocoon of blankets she had been cozily resting in, slipped into her trademark pink polka-dot blouse and blue-jeans, and exited the barn quietly, taking great care not to wake anyone else up.

Otis was the first thing she saw upon stepping outside, and she was surprised to see him in his utility uniform, including a Kevlar combat vest and an MICH TC-2000 helmet. "So, what's this surprise, Otis?"

Otis shook his head and chuckled, remembering the last time he asked Abby that question (see Chapter 21). "Well, it just wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it? But I'll tell you this much. You'll need these." He handed Abby another vest and helmet identical to what he was wearing, which Abby hesitantly slipped into.

Otis led Abby by the hoof into Walnut Woods (location from Barnyard video game) The morning air was rather chilly, so muh so that Abby found herself hugging Otis for a little extra warmth as the two bovines trudged through the waist-deep layer of mist. As they strolled deeper into the forest, Abby thought she heard helicopter blades spinning to life in the distance.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she entered a clearing to see a UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter of the United States Marine Corps. The pilot (he's human, by the way) emerged from the cockpit to greet the two cows in disguise. He stood before Otis and saluted. "Good morning, Lieutenant. This the girl you've been telling us all about?" Abby blushed slightly.

"You know it," Otis said proudly, returning the salute. "And sorry I had to drag you out into the middle of the woods this early in the morning. You're the only pilot I could find who was willing to do this."

The pilot laughed. "Think nothing of it, sir! I usually get up earlier than this, anyway." He walked up to Abby and shook her hoof. "I don't think we've been properly introduced. Abby, right?" Abby nodded shyly.

"Chief Warrant Officer Frank Ledford, at your service. I'll be your chauffeur today."

Ledford gestured toward the helicopter, where Otis took Abby's hoof and helped her on board, a gentlemanly "ladies first" gesture. Once he was strapped into his seat, he helped Abby with her restraints. And not a moment too soon. He had just finished when the Blackhawk's blades started whirring to life. Abby felt a surge of excitement as the helicopter slowly but gradually rose off the ground and into the early morning sky.

"Wow," Abby sighed at the beautiful sight of the town below, and the mountains in the distance. "Otis, this view is gorgeous!"

Otis put an arm around Abby's shoulders. "Glad you're enjoying it." Wouldn't it be something if I found myself competing over Abby with this view? Otis thought. He quickly dismissed it. "Ready to see what this thing can do?!"

"You know it!"

Otis chuckled and activated the intercom on his wrist. "Kilo 2-3, we're requesting a steep incline, over?"

"Right away, sir!" came Ledford's reply over the intercom. Suddenly, Abby felt the helicopter tilt straight up. Otis's diary entry was right! These things were like roller coasters without the tracks! If Abby wasn't already convinced, she sure was when Otis gave the order to do a barrel roll (Blackhawks are one of very few helicopters capable of barrel rolls). Abby found herself clinging to the laughing Otis for dear life as the vehicle tilted on its side, then upside down, and then right-side up again. For the briefest moment, given the open troop bay, the seat restraints were the only thing standing between Abby and an 8,000 foot drop to the ground below. It was the biggest thrill ride she had ever experienced, and she was deeply grateful that Otis was able to provide it for her.

Abby looked out into the distance and gasped. "Otis, look!"

Otis looked up to see the morning sunrise over the distant mountains, and found himself unable to look away for the longest time, though it was only ten minutes. When he turned away, he met Abby's gaze, and knew that she felt it too. They readied themselves, and sparks flew as their lips met.

_Later that morning..._

The two cows strolled hoof-in-hoof back towards the barnyard. Abby had her head rested on Otis's shoulder. "You know, Otis, I just had a gut feeling that this helicopter ride was the little 'surprise' you had in store for me."

"Oh, really? What makes you say that?"

"You said so in your diary." Uh-oh, Abby thought. Please tell me I didn't just say that.

Otis froze. "You read my diary?"

"Otis, we thought you were dead. I just wanted to find out how it happened."

Otis relaxed. "I guess you're right. Besides, if anything had happened to me, I would have wanted you to have it, and not just to leave sitting on your desk. Where would the fun be in that?" He winked at her, causing her to giggle.

They reached the barn, blew each other kisses, and disappeared into their respective stalls. Upon reaching her stall, Abby noticed, to her excitement, that the new dress and mattress she ordered off the Internet had arrived. She immediately removed the dress from its bag and slipped it on. It was sky-blue and Renaissance-like in appearance, with floor-length skirt and a skin-tight top with sleeves coming down to her wrists. The wrists, collar, waist, and hem of the skirt were all outlined with silver lace. Abby twirled around in it, admiring her new look.

Then she removed the memory-foam mattress from its bag and flopped down onto it, sighing as she sank into the soft, spongy material. That itchy hay bed of hers would be a thing of the past.

Abby could once again feel excitement building up inside her. Tonight would be a special treat, for both her and Otis.

_That evening..._

Otis had just returned to his stall from a night out with the Jersey Cows, with nothing to show for it but the smile on his face, as well as Mrs. Beady's totalled car. The first thing he noticed was a sticky note on the edge of his desk. He picked it up and held it under a light:

_Dear Otis,_

_I'm feeling a little lonely. Care for a little company tonight?_

_XOXO Abby. ;D_

An amused smile spread across Otis's face. Abby seemed to be in a good mood tonight, and he knew why.

He slipped into a newly-bought pair of pajamas and headed over to Abby's stall.

Meanwhile, Abby, who had decided to wear her new dress to bed, had wasted no time at all rehearsing her seductive pose for when Otis showed up. She had tilted onto her left side, with her right arm draped over her hip in an alluring fashion. The sci-fi/romance movie Avatar was set up in the portable DVD player on Abby's desk. She knew Otis's jaw would drop straight to the floor as soon as he saw her.

But that instead turned out to be Abby's reaction when Otis turned up at her door, and Abby got a good look at what Otis called "pajamas".

Otis was wearing red cotton-polyester pajama bottoms with "USMC" in white block letters vertically imprinted on one thigh, and the Marine Corps Emblem in gold on the other thigh. But that wasn't what caught Abby's eye. She was too focused on the tight, spandex t-shirt Otis also had on. It was navy blue, with the word "MARINES" in red block letters imprinted on the chest. Abby couldn't even hear Otis trying to get her attention. She was unable to look away as he climbed into bed next to her, sinking to his shoulders in the soft, warm blankets.

Before she could stop herself, Abby found her arms snaking around Otis's muscular, spandex-clad chest. Next thing she knew, she was nuzzling his neck, causing Otis to chuckle a little. "Wow, you sure are affectionate tonight. What's the occasion?"

Abby giggled. "Oh, Otis, I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful morning, that's all."

Otis chuckled again and put an arm around Abby's shoulders. "Abby, that was just the first of many." With his other arm, he reached toward the edge of the bed, grabbed the DVD player remote, and hit PLAY. Both bovines were asleep in each other's arms twenty minutes into the movie.

**Again, sorry about the late update. And I know Avatar isn't out on DVD yet (in fact, it's still in theaters today), but I couldn't think of any other romance movies off the top of my head. But I still hope you enjoyed the chapter. Chapter 23 is coming soon! ^_^**


	23. Bessy's Cruel Words

**Okay, I hope everyone's ready for a little heartbreak. Chapter 23, everybody!**

_The next morning..._

Otis was in the best mood this morning! He felt like absolutely _nothing_ could ruin his day (picture the beginning of Brave Udders)!

He stepped outside the barn and took a deep breath of fresh morning air. No sooner had he done so than he heard Bessy's voice just around the corner, followed by Abby's. Otis's urge to eavesdrop was too powerful to resist.

"You deserve better than him, you know."

"Bessy, how could you even _say_ that?!"

"You gotta face facts, girl. Now that he's an officer, he'll have hardly any time for you. Besides, all I see in the Marine Corps is nothing but a bunch of trigger-happy idiots."

"You're wrong! Otis _always_ has time for me! He's made it work so far."

"Look, Abby, let me ask you something. When I got Otis sent off to Parris Island, he had every opportunity to quit. He never did. Why do you think that is?"

"Because the last thing he wanted was a reputation as a quitter. He said so himself!"

"Hmph. That's what he _told_ you."

"Bessy, what are you talking about?!"

"You know why he joined? You know why _any_ of them join? It's because they just want something to blow up so they can come home big heroes. As if they're fooling _anybody_."

Otis had had enough. It was time to confront Bessy. He turned his head around the corner of the barn, an angry, disapproving expression on his face.

Bessy placed her hooves on her hips. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Mr. Itchy Trigger-Hoof himself..."

Otis's look suddenly changed from angry to hurt. His shoulders began shaking as tear welled up in his eyes.

"Aww," Bessy cooed mockingly. "Is the big, bad soldier gonna cry?" Letting the tears flow free, Otis disappeared back inside the barn.

Abby shook her head disapprovingly at Bessy, and then ran into the barn after him. She found him on his hay bed, sobbing into his pillow.

She sat down on the bed next to him and began gently rubbing his shoulder. "She's wrong about you, you know."

Otis sat upright next to her, his shoulders still shaking, tears streaming down his cheeks. "She thinks I _enjoy_ doing what I do? She has no idea what it's like! She doesn't know what it's like to watch men scream and burn all around her! And I do."

"Shh, shh, shh, come here." Abby wrapped her arms around Otis's neck and pulled the weeping steer close, leaning his head on her chest. It was at this time that Bessy strode inside in a rather hesitant manner.

"Look, this probably isn't the best time-"

"Leave me alone," Otis groaned.

"Alright, if you'll lose the crocodile tears and listen-"

"I said GO AWAY!!!" Otis roared, causing a startled Bessy to jump back. It occurred to her then that she wasn't going to do any good talking to him. She promptly left the barn.

Abby then came up with an idea. She brought herself face-to-face with Otis and puckered her lips, trying to begin one of those make-out sessions that he enjoyed so much. But, much to Abby's surprise and dismay, Otis quickly turned away and returned his head to her shoulder. All he wanted right now was to be held, and that was something Abby was happy to do for him.

She took a soft, folded-up blanket from the foot of Otis's hay bed, draped it over her shoulders, and threw it around Otis's shoulders as well, encasing the two lovers in a single cocoon of soft acrylique. Soothed by the softness and warmth, Otis fell asleep in Abby's arms almost immediately.

_Bessy and I are SO through, _was Abby's last thought before falling asleep as well.

**Oh, poor Otis!!! D8 D8 D8 I wonder if I made Bessy sound too harsh. Let me know in your reviews. Thanks a bunch!**

"**You know, when I get home, they're all gonna ask me: 'Hoot, why do you do it, man? You think you're some kind of war junkie or something? You think you're gonna go halfway around the world, kick somebody's butt, and come home a big hero?' And you know what I'm gonna say? Nothing, absolutely nothing! You see, they'll never understand why we answer this call. You go to war for your country, but you fight for the man next to you. And I don't expect that to occur to them anytime soon."**

**-Sergeant Norman "Hoot" Gibson, former US Army Ranger and veteran of the 1993 invasion of Somalia**

**This is also a quote from the 2001 movie, _Black Hawk Down_.***


	24. Unpleasant Orders

**Okay, so I haven't updated in a while, now, and I haven't gotten a lot of E-Mails lately. As a result of this, I've been feeling a little "Internet-lonely", for lack of a better term (I'm pretty sure you know what I mean, right?). Anyway, I was hoping to get a few more reviews for Hanging Tough, and writing a new chapter would be just the thing to do to make that happen. So, without further ado, Chapter 24 of Hanging Tough! Enjoy!**

_A few days later..._

Abby had to admit, she sure was flattered. Lt. Col. Wilkes had requested an audience with Otis at the Oedeville Marine barracks, and Otis was even allowed to bring someone with him. Abby wasn't surprised that Otis had chosen her, but it didn't mean she wasn't pleased.

Right now, Abby, already in her blue jeans and pink polka-dotted blouse, was waiting for Otis to get dressed up, tingling with excitement at the very image of Otis in his dress uniform. Her eyes nearly doubled in size when he finally came out, and she could have sworn that she was even drooling a little.

Otis had chosen a different uniform for this trip. He wore the same blue trousers with the red stripe down each leg, as well as the white dress cap emblazoned with a golden marine emblem. But in place of his navy blue jacket was a tan khaki polo shirt that showed off his muscular arms, with his nametag on his right pectoral, and his military decorations on his left. _Whoa_, Abby thought, unable to stop staring. _Atten-hut_!

"So," Otis said, trying to snap her out of it. "You ready?"

Abby didn't even hear him. She was too busy checking him out.

"Abby? Hello in there..."

_Later that day..._

Otis's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow! I had no idea the farmer was an ex-marine."

Abby giggled. "It's true! I'll show you his Vietnam service record when we get home."

"Hmph. I've been living with that man my whole life, and I thought I knew everything about him!"

Otis carefully parked the farmer's truck outside the marine barracks and strolled inside the building with Abby on his arm. When the two bovines in disguise passed the lounge, where a dozen or so marines seemed half-awake slumped on the sofas, Otis nudged Abby gently. "Check this out," he whispered into her ear. And then, taking her arm in his, he casually strode into the lounge.

Instantly, one of the marines yelled, "OFFICER ON DECK! TEN-HUT!" All of them immediately snapped to attention, not one of them moving a muscle.

Otis chuckled. "As you were," Otis said as if he were ordering dinner.

"Sir, yes, sir!" The marines went back to whatever they were doing. An aroused smile spread across Abby's face. There was always something that turned her on about a man you had to stand a attention to whenever he passed by and couldn't even speak to without calling him "sir".

Maslow was waiting for him on the other side of the lounge. Otis greeted him with a smile and a salute. "Good afternoon, Maslow. I see your promotion to sergeant came through. Congratulations!"

Maslow returned the salute. "Thank you, sir. I'm now in command of Fox Company's 2nd platoon. But you probably didn't come here to hear me brag about it. The Colonel will see you now."

"Thanks, Maslow," Otis said as he disappeared into the office down the hall, Maslow heading back into the lounge. Abby decided she'd kill what time she had here in the lounge with him. As soon as she walked in, she saw him and two other marines sitting at a Poker table.

"So," Maslow said with a friendly smile, "Otis tells me you've never lost a game of Poker. Wanna join? We do need a fourth player, after all."

Abby giggled as she took her seat at the table. "Well, I wouldn't say I've never lost a game, but I am pretty good."

_An hour later..._

"Dang!" one of the marines exclaimed, looking over at Abby, who was practically buried in chips by now. "That's the eighteenth game in a row! I'm just glad we're not playing for keeps."

Maslow sighed in amusement and was about to set up another game that Abby would eventually win, when Otis appeared at the door, a rather solemn expression on his face. All of the marines in the room instinctively snapped to attention.

"Guys," Otis said. "Can I speak to Abby alone for a minute?"

"Sir!" Maslow said sharply, leading the boys single file out of the lounge.

"Otis, is something wrong?" Abby asked in her sweet, gentle, you-can-tell-me-anything voice as she climbed out of the pile of poker chips that came up to her chest.

Otis sighed and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Abby, I'm getting transferred."

**OH NO!!! Where is Otis being sent? How will Abby cope with this? Is Duke gonna try another takeover while Otis is gone? All these answers as well as a surprise, in the next chapter!**


	25. Surprise, Surprise!

**Happy Valentine's Day, everybody! AngelOli16 updated today, so I thought I would as well. Please comment!**

"What?!" Abby cried. "Where are you going?"

Otis sighed heavily. "I don't know, Abby. When someone gets transferred, he leaves home without a clue where he's going. He goes on that basis, or he turns in his uniform and prepares for a dishonorable discharge."

Abby's lip trembled. "Otis, what's more important to you, the Marines, or _me_?"

"Abby, listen, it's not that simple-"

Abby was already storming towards past Maslow towards Col. Wilkes's office. "Hey, wait, that place is off-limits!" Maslow said rather sternly. But Abby paid him no attention.

Col. Wilkes was rather surprised to see Abby at his door. He sighed when he realized why she was here. "Ma'am, look, transferring him wasn't my idea. _My_ superiors were the ones who gave the order."

"Did you try to change their mind?"

"Tried to, but you wouldn't believe how stubborn they can get."

Abby simply hung her head.

Wilkes sighed again. "Ma'am, I am no happier about this situation than you are, and neither is Otis. He was practically on his knees begging me to let him stay home with you, and I want him to have that. He's a spectacular Marine, who deserves everything he's asking for, but whether or not he gets it isn't my decision to make. I have orders too, and they involve transferring Otis. I don't like it any more than you or Otis do, but I don't have a choice."

There was a long, uncomfortable silence between the two, which Wilkes did his best to interrupt. "Any more questions you would like answered?"

"Where is he going, and when?"

Wilkes took a deep breath. "Command would chew my head off if they found out I released this information to _anyone_, but I guess Otis, at the very least, deserves to be let in on it. Otis is getting a transfer to Marine Corps Pacific Headquarters, which is located on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. I guess the only good news is that's not for another four months."

"Thank you, Colonel," Knowing now that there was no way to keep Otis from leaving, Abby decided it was time for something drastic. As she left the barracks with her arms around Otis's waist, she snuck a Marine Corps recruiting application into her jeans pocket on the way out the door. She was aware that this had to be the most reckless thing she had ever done, but at this point, she didn't care. She would do anything to be with Otis. Anything.

_One week later..._

Otis was strolling around the meadow with a disappointed expression on his face. He had really been "in the mood", so to speak, for the last couple nights, but he couldn't find Abby anywhere.

He was about to go back to his stall when Pip came scurrying up to him. "Otis, Otis, you're never going to believe this!"

"What? Have you found Abby?"

"No, but I know where she is."

"Where?!"

"Parris Island!"

Otis raised a hoof to his mouth and gasped. "She didn't..."

**SHE DID, FOLKS!!! Hey, AngelOli16, I told you there would be a surprise in this one! And I hope you're all in the mood for more surprises, because I'm just full of 'em!**


	26. Comfort

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I was just buried under schoolwork. I wasn't procrastinating, just so you know. Anyway, here's Chapter 26!**

_Three months later..._

Otis hadn't seen his girlfriend in three months. Even surrounded by Pip and the others, he still felt lonelier and lonelier every day. What was on his mind more than anything else was that Abby was headed into a life of danger no one could imagine, and that Otis prayed she would never have to experience.

He was in his stall, staring at a photo of himself and Abby sharing cotton candy at a carnival, when he actually saw her in the picture frame's reflection. He immediately looked up to see a most welcome sight. Abby was now standing in the doorway, smiling warmly at him from across the barn.

But her smile wasn't what had his attention at the moment. She had come home clad in a Marine Corps dress blues uniform of her very own. It was almost the exact spitting image of Otis, except for one detail. Otis's uniform included trousers that were a lighter shade of blue than the jacket. Abby was wearing a knee-length skirt that was the same color as the rest of the uniform. Otis smirked. _Looks good on her_, he thought.

But before he could even start towards Abby, she was already on him, her arms curled tightly around his chest and her head rested on his shoulder. "Oh, Otie, I've missed you so much!"

"Not nearly as much as I missed you." Otis gulped nervously. "But Abby, are you sure this is what you want? I mean, they're gonna be putting us in dangerous situations, and I just don't want anything to happen to you."

Abby stifled a giggle. "Oh, Otis, that's exactly what you said when we went to round up Bigfoot!" (Otis vs. Bigfoot)

Otis sighed and clasped her hooves in his. "Abby, that was different. When we were hunting Bigfoot, I didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Here, I'm actually able to say that I've been there and done that! And not only that, but you remember that nightmare I had?" (Chapter 19)

Abby sighed dreamily. "That night was magical, wasn't it?"

Otis smiled. "Well, yes, but now I'm afraid you're going to start having them, too."

Abby placed a hoof on Otis's thigh. "But Otie, that's what I have you for." She brought out the "puppy dog eyes". "I wanted this to be an experience we could share. After all, I am getting transferred to Hawaii with you."

Otis couldn't resist. "Oh, all right. But if we ever have to go back to Afghanistan, I want you to stay as close to me as possible. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Abby said cheerfully with a playful little salute.

"Wait, what?"

"Isn't that what you're supposed to call your superiors?"

Otis chuckled. "Well, yes, but you can still call me Otis, or whatever pet name you may have. Call me 'sir' and I turn around and start looking for Colonel Wilkes."

Abby giggled, kissed her boyfriend on the cheek, and left to change out of her uniform.

_That night..._

Abby had slipped into her plushy pink robe and had curled up on her new memory foam mattress, the covers puled up to her chest. It felt wonderful to finally get to sleep in her own bed after sleeping on a metal spring cot for the three months she was at Parris Island.

She was about to drift away into a slumber when she noticed Otis standing at her door, clad in his pajama bottoms and spandex t-shirt. It had to be, bar none, the sexiest outfit she had ever seen him in. She laid perfectly still as he approached her bedside, kissed her gently on the forehead, and whispered, "Welcome home, Abby," in her ear.

He was just about to leave for his own stall when a pair of strong but gentle arms curled around his waist and pulled him into bed. A cowgirlish voice then whispered in _his_ ear,"And just where do you think you're going, handsome?"

Otis chuckled. "Should have seen that coming. I guess I'm trapped now, huh?"

"That's right, hunk of mine. There's no escape."

She pulled him deep into the covers, her arms wrapped tightly around his chest, pinning his arms to his sides as she locked lips with him in a make-out session. Abby began snuggling down into the blankets, pulling him down with her. Otis's heart beat faster as he and Abby sank deeper and deeper into the soft, warm bedding. Before he knew it, they were buried up to their snouts.

Abby finally came up for air, put her arms around Otis's shoulders, and gently nuzzled his neck. "Oh, Otie, you have no idea how much I've missed this!"

Otis sighed. "Me too. And I can't tel you how happy I am that we're going to Hawaii toge-"

Abby had already fallen asleep.

**I wrote this chapter on short notice. I hope you enjoy it anyway.**


	27. Back to Afghanistan

**There's a rumor going around that Back at the Barnyard will not have a third season. I just received the bad news yesterday. There are still doubts in my mind as to whether or not these rumors are true, but I pray they're not. AngelOli16 is even putting together a petition to save BatB (she told me on Facebook). Meanwhile, I try to keep the show alive by updating this story. But you probably didn't click this link to hear me ramble on and on about it. Chapter 27! Enjoy!**

_The next morning..._

Abby's alarm clock read 5:02 AM, and the sun was just about to appear behind the hills. Otis awoke to find himself and Abby buried up to their eyeballs in soft bedding, her arms still curled around his chest. He struggled to pull himself free, but couldn't. Abby's voice then whispered into his ear: "That's it, Otie. Keep struggling; it's such a turn-on."

Otis chuckled and was finally able to pull himself free, and with Abby still in his embrace, he pushed the blankets back until they only came up to his chest. Losing track of what he was doing, be began nuzzling her pink robe, marveling at how soft and cuddly it made her. Abby giggled. "You must really like this robe, huh?"

Otis laid Abby down on her back and rested his head on her chest. "You think I should get one?"

Abby gasped. "Oh, Otie, that would be wonderful!" Abby could picture it now; Otis stretched out on his bed, clad in the same plush robe Abby was wearing, except in dark blue-green instead of pink, and the warm, fuzzy feeling that overcame her as she lowered herself into his cozy lap. It was one of the most romantic fantasies she has ever had about Otis.

Abby began snuggling back down into the pile of blankets, causing Otis to chuckle. "Whatcha doin?"

When the covers reached Abby's snout, she simply looked up at him, gave a playful little wink, and then slipped beneath the surface.

At this point Otis could feel Abby's strong arms curling around his massive hips, and begin to pull him down into the blankets. The bedding suddenly felt like quicksand around him as it rose around his shoulders, chin, snout, and then closed over his head. As soon as he went under, he could feel a pair of warm, moist lips press against his...

_Later that morning..._

Otis and Abby were sharing breakfast in Abby's stall as they finally finished watching _Titanic_ (they had to pause the movie in Chapter 5, remember?). Their morning meal consisted of a cantaloupe cut neatly in half. Abby had her head rested on Otis's chest, enjoying the feel of that tight spandex t-shirt against her cheek_._

The two lovebirds had each finished their half of the melon and had finished the movie. Otis was just getting up to go take a shower, when Pip showed up at the door to Abby's stall with a letter in his hand.

"Mornin', O! Thought I might find _you_ here," Pip said with a wink. Otis rolled his eyes, opened the letter, and when he read it he gasped, clutching his chest.

"What's wrong, Otis?" Abby asked nervously. "Are you going to war again?"

Otis took a deep breath. "No. _We_ are."

**Unbelievable! And Abby hasn't even been home for twenty-four hours yet! DX Anyway, I know this chapter was kind of short, and a little hard to follow, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway.**


	28. Saying Goodbye

**Okay, sorry it took me so long to update, everybody! ^_^' I had planned on updating when I got back from Arizona, but I never really got around to it. I then made plans to update on Easter, but couldn't get NeoOffice up. Happy Easter anyway, though! Anywho, you didn't open this link to hear me ramble, so enjoy the new chapter!**

The entire gang (in human disguises, of course) had come to see Otis and Abby off. Off in the corner, a Marine Corps marching band, clad in red dress uniforms, was proudly playing the Marine Corps Hymn as marines loaded vehicles and supplies onto air transports.

Otis turned to Pip. "You sure you're gonna be okay without me for a couple more months?"

Pip chuckled. "I'll be fine, O. Right now you got more important things to be worrying about."

Otis, knowing instantly what, or rather, who, Pip was talking about, turned towards Abby, who was hugging Bessy goodbye. Otis still didn't like Bessy that much, but he was glad she and Abby were making up (after Chapter 23).

He turned back to his friends. "Peck, try to keep a closer eye on Freddy. I just found a rotisserie in his stall the other morning. And Duke's in charge until I get back, but don't let it go to his head." The gang nodded in agreement. Otis was about to say more when Colonel Wilkes called for them from the troop bay of a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter. Abby had already started towards the chopper, and Otis was about to when Bessy placed a hoof on his shoulder. Otis was surprised to see a smile on her face.

"You take good care of Abby, you hear me?" Bessy told him. "Because if she comes home with one hair out of place on her head, you're gonna have me to answer to." She patted his shoulder to let him know she was just joking. Otis returned the smile and followed Abby towards the helicopter.

Once on board, Abby gave Otis a surprised look. "Did you...and Bessy...make nice back there?!"

Otis chuckled. "Close enough."

"Otis, sir?" a voice called from further down the troop bay. Otis immediately recognized that voice. He looked in the direction it was coming from to see his old equine friend, Sergeant Maslow, smiling across the compartment at him.

"Oh, hey, Maslow! You nervous?"

"A little, sir, but not so much knowing you're joining us."

_Likewise_, Otis thought, sitting back in his seat, holding Abby's hoof tight as the Super Stallion chopper lifted off,

**I know I promised this to you a long time ago, and again I apologize for the late update. Now I'm not sure when I can get the next chapter to you, considering that I'm just buried under schoolwork right now. But I'll try to update as soon as I can. Again, sorry I made you wait for such a short chapter.**


	29. Decision Time

**Okay, I apologize for the long wait, and I know a new chapter is long overdue, but I've just been buried under schoolwork lately. Someone even told me he thought I'd scrapped the story altogether. But now that the summer's here, I should have more time for updating. Here's your very late chapter. Enjoy!**

_USMC personnel base, Kandahar province, Afghanistan_

Lieutenant Colonel Wilkes paced around his office nervously. Officers and enlisted personnel weren't allowed to be romantically involved, and he wasn't sure how Otis was going to take the bad news. He had already called Otis to his office, and he had spent the last ten minutes reciting what he was going to say.

He heard a knock on his door, followed by Otis's familiar voice. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

Wilkes took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing._ "Yes, come in. There's something I need to talk to you about."

The first thing Otis saw coming into the office was the perplexed look on Wilkes's face. "Something wrong, Colonel?"

"I'm afraid so, son. I understand that you currently hold the rank of Second Lieutenant, and that your girlfriend, Abby, holds the rank of Lance Corporal, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, I'm afraid that officers are forbidden from having romantic relationships with enlisted personnel. It's a violation of Marine Corps code."

"What? Why?"

Wilkes sighed and laced his fingers. "I'm not sure, to be completely honest. And I think it's one of the dumbest rules the Armed Forces have ever come up with. But it's a rule, nonetheless."

Otis took a seat in front of Wilkes's desk and stared at the floor _Only one way to solve this problem_, he thought.

"I'm sorry, son," Wilkes said. "I didn't want to hurt you, but I didn't know how else to break the news. I wish there was some way we could fix this."

"Maybe there is, sir."

"What are you saying?"

Otis cleared his throat. "With your permission, Colonel, I request a demotion." Wilkes was speechless. Otis could tell by the look on his face that it wasn't every day this request was made. "I take it you don't hear that very often, sir?"

Wilkes caught his breath. "Did you hear what you just said? Otis, you earned that officer's commission on your last tour in Afghanistan, and surely you understand we don't just hand those out as party favors."

"I know, sir, but you must understand why I'm asking this."

"I most certainly do, because I can say I've been there. Otis, I joined the Marines when I was twenty. And a couple years later, I met and fell in love with another Marine named Muriel. We got married five years later. Anyway, that's when she got her officer's commission, and I was still a Corporal. Marine Corps code of conduct forced us to divorce against our will, and I never got a chance to see Muriel again. I found out a month after the divorce that she had been killed in action at Mazar-i-Sharif. I'm all for your relationship with Abby, and I don't want you to lose her the way I lost Muriel."

Otis found himself wiping a tear from his eye. "So is that a 'yes'?"

Wilkes smiled and nodded. "Welcome back to the enlisted ranks, Staff Sergeant Otis. Don't make me regret it."

Otis returned the smile, stood, and saluted. "Thank you, sir." Wilkes gave him back his Staff Sergeant insignia, and watched him leave, pleased with how the situation played out.

_At the men's barracks..._

Sergeant Maslow was cracking jokes and having fun with the other Marines in the cabin, but suddenly stood at attention when he saw Otis walk in. "OFFICER ON DECK! TEN HUT!" Everybody immediately snapped to attention, none of them moving a muscle.

Otis chuckled and patted Maslow's shoulder. "Not anymore, Maz. I asked Colonel Wilkes for a demotion."

One of the other Marines took a deep breath and spoke up. "With all due respect, sir, why would anyone request a _demotion_?"

"I think I can answer that," Maslow said. "You see, Otis and Abby were-"

Suddenly an alarm blared. "FOX COMPANY, PLEASE REPORT TO THE STAGING AREA FOR DEPLOYMENT TO YOUR FIRST MISSION!"

"That's us!" Maslow exclaimed. "Everybody move out!"

Otis gulped. _Yeah, that includes Abby, too..._

**Again, sorry this chapter was so late. I promise to make this go a lot faster in the future. Let us wish Otis and Abby well on their first encounter with the Taliban.**


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